Absorbing the Deck
by missycanucks
Summary: Matthew and Alfred are adopted by the Spades Royals when they find the imprints of future Marks on their skin. What will become of the twins when they meet the other Deck Royals? And what is this prophecy everyone is talking about? Cardverse AU, CanLiech, USUK.
1. Chapter 1

"Just a penny, sir!" Matthew cried out to the hundredth person to walk by that day.

For the hundredth time that day, it was as if he weren't there in the first place.

The 7-year-old blond shivered as he huddled into himself against the wall. The winter chill was making it even harder to beg for coins in the street, but it had to be done to survive. His parents had died in the plague a few months before, leaving him destitute. He would need more than food soon, as his threadbare clothes barely protected him from the wind.

Matthew looked up to see his twin run across the street towards him.

"Mattie, I found a way to get food!"

"Al, what did you do?"

"Nothing yet…" Alfred said, trying to act innocently, "That is, I need your help getting it."

"You're not stealing it, Alfred."

"I'm not stealing the food!" Alfred exclaimed, "I'm distracting the baker while you sneak out a loaf of bread."

"You're making ME steal it, Alfred!"

"Come on, Mattie," Alfred begged, dragging Matthew towards the bakery, "I'm a master of distraction, you're a master of hiding in the shadows unseen, and we haven't eaten in days! Seriously, just smell that bread!"

Matthew was about to yell at his brother again when the sweet smell of freshly baked bread made his stomach growl. He looked over to see that the baker already had more than enough customers to keep him distracted, as well as a clear path to slip in, grab a loaf, and slip back out.

"Fine, let's do it!"

"Mattie, you're the best!" Alfred cheered, "Okay, meet me in the alley after!"

Alfred whooshed into the bakery and started distracting the baker. Matthew came in shortly after, staying to the side to avoid being seen. As he approached the target loaf of bread, Alfred was getting more adamant in his pestering. Seeing his chance, Matthew grabbed his loaf, tucked it into his arms, and headed for the door. Just as he tried to slip out, he bumped into someone.

"What's this, a thief?" the person proclaimed.

Matthew kicked them in the shin and ran out of the store as quickly as he could. He could hear the baker shouting after him, along with Alfred's voice and calling for guards. He whipped around a corner, only to bump into a guard and fall to the ground. When he looked up, Matthew could tell that the guard knew exactly what he was doing. The baker quickly followed around the corner with Alfred in tow.

"Sir, I caught these boys trying to steal some of my bread!"

"Yes, it sure looks like it," the guard replied, grabbing the loaf of bread and giving it back to the baker as a couple more guards showed up, "We'll take care of these brats."

"Thank you, sir," the baker said, returning to his shop with the bread. Another guard grabbed Alfred, and another bound their hands. Once ready, they started dragging the boys to the castle.

"Al, what are we going to do now?" Mattie whimpered.

"I don't know, Mattie."

* * *

Mikkel wasn't fond of punishing prisoners, but as the Ace of Spades, it was part of the job.

He walked into the dungeons, noticing a few regular criminals in the lineup awaiting punishment for new crimes. There were a couple new faces today though, a pair of scrawny blond twins.

"Okay, let's start with the boys," he asked the guard, "What did they do?"

"One distracted the baker while the other tried to steal some bread."

"Is that all?" Mikkel questioned, bending down closer to look at the twins. They were keeping their heads down in shame, but the one with slightly longer hair was whimpering a bit. "Do you boys understand what the laws of Spades say to do to thieves? We're supposed to send them to the gallows."

"Please don't hurt Mattie!" the short-haired one cried out, "It was all my idea, I made him help me!"

"Please don't hurt Al!" Mattie cried out at the same time, "I shouldn't have taken the bread!"

Mikkel found himself stuck as two pairs of eyes pleaded for forgiveness, one set blue and another set violet. The boys appeared to have learned their lesson, and it would be a waste to have them hanged at such a young age. However, the boys still needed to be punished for their crimes.

"Take their shirts off," he ordered, "Twenty lashes for each, then release them. That will be more than enough."

The guards quickly tore the shirts off the boys, then turned them to prepare for lashing. Mattie had started trying to push back from the guards in fear, so started hitting him and ordering him to cooperate. Mikkel whipped out his axe and gently placed the edge of the blade against the back of Mattie's neck.

"Mattie, isn't it?" Mikkel asked, "The quicker you stop your fidgeting, the less we'll make the lashing hurt."

"No, don't kill him!" Al shouted in terror, making Mikkel roll his eyes. Mattie had stopped fidgeting, now hyperventilating instead. Mikkel tilted the blade away from his neck, moving the axe away from the neck. As it passed by Mattie's back, Mikkel suddenly noticed a surge of energy in the axe, along with a quick flash of blue.

"Wait a second," he ordered the guard who was coming in to take over. Mikkel hovered the axe head over the boy's back again, and the surge of energy came back. This time, a blue Spade had formed on Mattie's back. Pulling the axe away, Mikkel looked at the skin a bit closer. Although the blue mark was gone, a faint imprint of the Spade's border could be found.

"Where did you get this mark on your back, Mattie?"

"He's always had it," Al answered for him, "I have a similar one on my chest, we were born with them."

"Let me see," Mikkel ordered. Al turned, and Mikkel hovered the axe head by his chest. Sure enough, the surge of energy returned, and a blue Spade formed on Al's chest. Moving the axe away, a faint imprint could be found like on his brother.

"Future Royals? Is it even possible to find them so early?" a guard asked Mikkel.

"Possibly," Mikkel replied, "Release their bonds, I'm taking them to Berwald."


	2. Chapter 2

"Our crops have indeed done well this year, your Majesties, but the Hearts competition has stolen our sales. Please ease this tax burden on our farms."

"The tax is dependent on the quantity of crops in inventory, not what the competition is doing."

King Berwald listened as the wheat farmers begged for an ease on their taxes. They had mandated a new tax on crops last year, but Hearts had done far better in sales this year, so Spade farmers were feeling the pinch.

"I recently sent Queen Kiku a request for their crop sales statistics," Queen Tino informed from his seat at Berwald's left, "They are also dealing with an influx and poor sales. Is there no way to help them, Jack Lukas?"

"Not directly as of yet, your Majesty," Lukas replied "For now, we can only see what becomes of prices this year. With the new law, they must drop further before we can grant any reprieve."

"This is absolutely ludicrous!" the farmer suddenly shouted, "This law is rigged in favour of the Royal Treasury!"

"This law is as the farmers demanded it to be last year, after much was given on our part." Berwald intervened, "And it will remain as it is for now. Guards, escort him out."

The farmer kept shouting as the guards dragged him out, but Berwald was no longer paying attention.

"I wasn't expecting you to back me up on that one," Lukas muttered from where he stood to Berwald's right side.

"Well, the farmers were quite adamant on it last year," Berwald replied, "They will get what they asked for."

"And here I thought you were going to be kinder this year," Tino quipped.

"They reaped what they sowed," Berwald snickered in return, before signalling the young man at the door who looked far too much like his older brother.

"Emil, let the next speaker in."

"Yes, your Majesty."

He went outside the room to fetch the next speaker. Berwald couldn't help but hear a commotion outside the room before Emil reentered and opened the doors wide. Mikkel came in, followed by the guards escorting a pair of blond boys. Their shirts were missing, and it was easy to tell they are underfed. They were looking around the room in awe as Mikkel stopped in front of the throne and bows.

"Ace Mikkel, this is rather unorthodox," Berwald pointed out, "You hardly ever show up for court, and here you suddenly interrupt and bring in these two poor boys."

"Your Majesties, before I can begin, there are far too many people in the room," Mikkel explained, "These boys have to do with a serious matter that cannot be discussed with such an audience."

"And exactly how serious is this matter, Ace Mikkel?" Lukas asked.

"It involves the future of Spades royalty, my dear Jack," Mikkel hinted, making the audience mutter amongst themselves.

"I'll allow it," Berwald stated, "Clear the room. Emil, you can stay."

The notaries and audience quickly filed out, leaving the Royals with the boys. Berwald waited for Emil to shut the doors before speaking.

"You just threw the court off for the day, Mikkel, so this had better be good. Who are they?"

"This one is Matthew, and the other is Alfred," Mikkel began to explain, "They are poor orphans who were among my prisoners in the dungeon today."

"Why were they in the dungeon?" Lukas asked.

"They had tried to steal some bread from a baker."

"You poor dears," Tino commented, "To have to resort to stealing, you must be truly desperate for food."

"Get to the point, Mikkel," Berwald interrupted, "How is this a matter of urgency?"

"They have faint outlines of Spade Marks."

The group paused in shock.

"That can't be right," Lukas said in confusion, "The Marks never show up ahead of time, do they?"

"Well, they did on these boys," Mikkel responded, "Not only that, but when I hover my axe by the imprints, they become full Marks."

In demonstration, he spun Matthew so that his back was showing to the others, and hovered the axe by the imprint. The others gasped as they saw the blue Spade appear on his back. Berwald stepped down from his throne, unsheathing his sword. Mikkel moved his axe, and Berwald looked closely for the outline. Having found it, he hovered the hilt of his sword by it, and the outline became a full Mark as it did with the axe. He then looked over at Alfred, who was watching in fear.

"You have one as well?"

"On my chest, sir."

Berwald moved over and knelt by Alfred. When he found the mark on the boy's chest, he moved the hilt of the sword towards it.

It had the same effect.

"Mikkel is right," Berwald said, "These boys are future Royals."

"I thought you all had much longer reigns on the Timepiece, though," Emil pointed out, "What do we do with them until their time?"

"We should keep them here!" Tino enthusiastically suggested, "We can make sure they are well taken care of, and prepare them to rule."

"We cannot keep them here," Lukas counter-argued, "If the other Suits find out we're harbouring our successors, they could kill them, and it would be all for naught."

"It would be worth the risk!" Tino rebutted, "We can teach them how to fight, how to read and write, and how to run a kingdom. We should give them the education we wish we had before becoming royalty."

"We could have them work in the stables or kitchens when other Royals are visiting," Mikkel suggested, "Pass them off as servants if we need to. Certainly better than having them homeless on the streets."

Berwald raised his hand to silence the others.

"Emil, get them cleaned up and fed," he ordered, "They will spend the night."

"Yes, Berwald," Emil acknowledged, "Come on, boys."

Once Emil had led the boys out of the room, Berwald lifted the curtain behind the throne, and opened the hidden door. The other Royals followed him through the opening and down the hidden corridor. It led them to a small room where the Spades Timepiece, a large grandfather clock, was hidden away from peering eyes.

"It sure has a lot of time left for us, doesn't it?" Mikkel pointed out.

Berwald nodded in agreement. The King's hour hand was at the 5, the Queen's minute hand was at the 6, and the Jack's second hand was at the 7.

"Looks like approximately nine years left for you, Lukas," Tino calculated, "Ten for myself. Eleven for you, Berwald."

"That is a long time to keep those boys hidden," Lukas pointed out, "Unless one of them is to replace Mikkel as an Ace before then, which I wouldn't mind so much."

"Aw, am I really that annoying?" Mikkel sulked.

"Yes, you are," Lukas retorted before continuing, "We also have to consider the other Suits. King Vladimir may not worry too much, but his new Jack Roderich is a stickler for propriety, and Queen Elizaveta may swing the same way. King Ramirez and Jack Lars might take advantage if there's a benefit for Diamonds. As for Hearts, King Gupta would demand their heads if he found out."

"Well, if one of these boys is the next Jack, then it makes it easier to pass off the other one as wanting to stay with their brother," Tino commented, "Just like how you've had Emil tag along with you all these years, Lukas."

"If we are careful about what we do with them, we should be able to keep the secret under wraps," Mikkel added, "Since we all know about Tino's motherly instincts, we could say that he adopted them. That way, even the servants would expect them to run around all parts of the castle. Also, we can have them trained to help in the kitchens and stables when we have visitors from the other Suits."

"Well, what do you say, Berwald?" Lukas asked, "Are we really going to do this?"

Berwald took one more look at the clock, and pondered the ideas. All three had excellent points. If Matthew and Alfred were 'adopted' by Tino, they could stay at the castle under their protection, and could learn what they need to know. If the others Suits are visiting, hiding them is a possibility until they are old enough and ready to defend themselves. As he looked at the clock, he realized one more benefit to keeping them around.

"If imprints of their Marks are showing up so early, then those boys must have incredible potential," Berwald mused aloud, turning back to the others. "If we help nurture that potential, they could be among the greatest Royals to ever rule Spades. Yes, we will keep him here."


	3. Chapter 3

"Matthew, how would Diamonds be affected by a large surplus of sheep in Clubs?"

"The sheep provide wool, which is a textile. With a surplus, Clubs can cause an oversupply of wool in the textile industry, which is the specialty of Diamonds."

"That is correct. Alfred, why would Hearts need the knowledge that the Spade universities and libraries store?"

"Does it matter?" Alfred complained from the recliner, far more interested in looking at the snow outside.

"Yes, Alfred, it does matter," Emil replied from the table where he was sitting with Matthew, "Once you two are Royals, you will have to know why King Ludwig would want to request a library query. Now, answer the question."

"Do I have to?" Alfred begged, leaning back against the recliner, "You've been quizzing us all day, can't we have a break?"

"Answer the question first, then I'll let you have a break," Emil offered.

"Sweet!" Alfred exclaimed, bouncing up in his seat with a sudden burst of energy and a smile on his face, "Okay, Hearts does lots of experimenting and inventing, right? And they need to know what has been tried before, and we have the books in our libraries which talk about those things?"

Emil and Matthew both looked at him with their eyebrows raised.

"That was far too much energy for someone who wants to take a break," Matthew commented.

"He still got the right answer though," Emil added on, closing the quiz book, "Okay, Alfred, 15 minutes."

Alfred cheered as he bounced from the recliner, opened the balcony doors, and ran out into the snow. Emil and Matthew took their time getting up and following him to the door. They paused on the balcony and watched Alfred twirl in the wind and powder.

"You know, it's been seven years since you two came here," Emil remarked, "It feels as though the time has flown."

"Sure doesn't feel like it to me," Matthew replied with a chuckle, "It's been half my life so far, after all."

"Let's just hope that fraction keeps shrinking," Emil quipped back. He opened his mouth to make another comment, only to have a snowball hit his face instead. Alfred's laughter howled from where a second snowball flew and hit Matthew's head.

"Aw yeah! The hero gets two for two!"

"How about we make that two of one hundred?" Matthew yelled back, running on to the field to challenge Alfred. Emil stayed on the balcony and watched as Matthew tackled Alfred to the ground, shoving his face into the snow.

The 14-year-old boys had certainly come a long way, and had grown into young men. They didn't have much muscle yet, but they were much healthier than when they had been found on the street. They had shot up in height over the previous year, and Mikkel was placing wagers on whether they could both end up taller than Berwald. Both boys ended up needing glasses, but otherwise they had no problems. Alfred decided to keep his hair shorter while Matthew preferred his slightly longer shaggy waves, so that remained the best way to tell them apart.

The plans to keep them at the castle and train them for the future was already paying off, and none of the other Suits even knew of their existence. The boys saw Berwald and Tino as father figures, while Mikkel and Lukas were more like uncles. Only being 8 years their senior, Emil was like an older brother. He didn't mind that, of course. After years of having to call Lukas "big brother", it was nice to have the younger boys around to make him feel like the big brother.

A servant came to the balcony and handed Emil a letter, which he opened while the boys came back, drenched from the snow and wiping off their glasses.

"Anything important?" Alfred asked.

"A proclamation from Hearts," Emil replied, "They have found their new Jack and Ace. A pair of brothers who were working as servants in their castle."

"Wasn't Hearts involved in that fight with Clubs?" Matthew pointed out.

"A fight?" Alfred asked, "What fight?"

"The one Tino was talking about in his last letter," Matthew replied, "Do you even bother reading them?"

"There was a very heated argument between the Jacks of Clubs and Hearts, and their Aces also got involved," Emil explained, "Heracles and Sadiq managed to kill each other, while Im Yong Soo got caught in Sadiq's crossfire at one point. Roderich was the only survivor of the four."

"Well, that's a bit messy," Alfred commented.

"It sure was," Emil continued, "By the sounds of this letter, Feliciano is replacing Im Yong Soo as the Jack of Hearts, while Lovino is taking over for Heracles as the Ace."

"Didn't Mikkel's last letter say that Ivan's creepy little sister is the new Ace of Clubs?" Matthew asked.

"Unfortunately yes, Natalya took over for Sadiq," Emil confirmed, "I cannot stress it enough to you boys: stay out of her path."

"That depends," Matthew questioned with a raised eyebrow, "Are you going to actually let us cross paths with the other Suits anytime soon?"

"Not until you've had some military training," Emil replied, "Mikkel will teach you to fight before Berwald allows you to be seen. That way, should one of the Suits send their Ace after one of you, you won't be defenseless."

"Sounds fun to me," Alfred said, "When do we start?"

"I suspect Berwald will consider letting you start that training in the spring," Emil informed, "Until then, we're still working on economics. Speaking of which, the break is over, and you boys are soaked. Come back inside and change before you catch a cold."

"I thought being a mother hen was Tino's job, not yours," Matthew shot as the trio walked back into the castle, earning a chuckle from Alfred.

"Ha ha, very funny," Emil replied in an unamused tone, leading the boys into the corridor towards their quarters, "Wait until Tino hears about that, he's still as good a sniper as he has ever been. You don't want to deal with that again, do you?"

"Careful, Mattie," Alfred warned, "I still have the burns from that last batch of magic darts."

"You deserved that one, Al" Matthew chuckled, "You spooked Hana and sent Tino into a ditch!"

"How was I to know that his horse is so jumpy?" Alfred defended as they reached the room. The boys went to their dressers and started pulling out clothes as Emil went to the linen closet and pulled out some towels. Turning back, Emil saw that both boys were already pulling off their wet shirts. Emil handed the first towel to Alfred, who went behind his screen to change his pants, then walked over to Matthew with the second towel.

"Hey Emil, I was wondering," Alfred asked from behind the screen, "Do the Royals ever marry or have children?"

"Not usually, no," Emil explained, "Their positions are ones of service, and have particular demands. Most Royals find it too stressful to manage both their roles for their kingdom and their family lives, so they tend to choose not to."

"Didn't Mikkel mention a wedding in Diamonds, though?" Matthew added as he went behind his screen to change, "Between their King and Queen?"

"Yes, King Francis and Queen Jeanne married each other after serving Diamonds together for two years," Emil explained, "Relationships do end up happening, but only marriages between a King and Queen are recognized. Of course, with the way the Timepieces recognize who has power, any children from such a union would only inherit power if they also have a Mark."

"Has that ever happened?" Alfred asked as he came out from behind the screen without a shirt on, "A child of a King or Queen wanting to rule?"

"I believe Diamonds once had a Queen who already had an infant child when she received her Mark, but that was it," Emil answered, "Now that I think of it, I suppose it's no wonder that Diamonds has both the most exceptions to the rule and the stereotype of being flighty romantic libertines."

"Given the names of the Suits, I'd have thought that Hearts was the worst offender," Matthew commented.

"Not quite, although recent events may influence that," Emil continued, "It is believed that the rivalry between Heracles and Sadiq started with them fighting over Queen Kiku's affections."

"Is that even allowed?" Alfred asked, "Relationships with a Royal of another suit?"

"There are no rules against it, but there are too many problems that can arise," Emil explained, "Affairs are common between the Suits, but they quickly fall apart when the kingdoms lose their good relations."

"That would be unfortunate," Matthew added as he stepped out from behind his screen fully dressed, "One day you have a lovely romance going, the next day you need your lover's head on a silver platter."

"Just don't go breaking any hearts, Mattie," Alfred teased, "I might not be able to save you!"

"Likewise, Al," Mattie returned, "I doubt even I could save you from another kingdom's wrath."

"I suppose I should fear what you two could end up doing to put Spades on edge," Emil mused briefly, before shaking the thought out of his head and pushing the boys towards the door, "Nevermind that. Come along, back to that economics quiz."

"Aww," the boys grumbled.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 _Thank you for following so early! This is my first fanfic, so I hope I don't disappoint. I will have some of the basic Cardverse headcanons that have emerged in other fanfics I have read, but I hope that some of my ideas here are new repertoire. These first 3 chapters were hard to get started, as these were essentially the prologue. Starting with the next chapter, I already have lots of detail on how I want this story to go, with only a couple other spots in my plotline to figure out._


	4. Chapter 4

"Do not leave Antonio's side."

"Yes, brother."

"Do not venture into strange parts of the castle."

"Yes, brother."

"Don't let Ace Mikkel flirt with you."

"Yes, brother."

"Don't let their Jack's little brother flirt with you either."

"Yes, brother."

"Don't let any Spade soldiers or servants flirt with you."

"Vash, stop it," Antonio finally snapped and intervened, "Lilli will be fine, you can relax!"

"It's her first trip with us, I want her kept as safe as possible!" Vash argued.

"Spades is our strongest ally right now, Vash," Francis rebutted from the other side of the carriage. The King was sharing a bench with Queen Jeanne, while the Jack and Ace had Vash's little sister squeezed between them on the other bench. "I highly doubt they would even consider touching our sweet Lilli. She will be safe anywhere in their castle."

"Also, King Berwald doesn't keep as large a court," Queen Jeanne added, "She won't have to repel as many flirtatious notaries as she does on a normal basis."

"It's okay, brother," Lilli reassured Vash, "I will behave and stay with Antonio. You can just focus on your meeting instead of worrying about me."

"Okay fine," Vash grumbled as he turned to look out the window again. Antonio looked out his own window and saw they had just entered the castle gates. The carriage slowed as it pulled closer, and stopped by the main entrance. The door by Vash was opened by a footman, and Francis left the carriage. Queen Jeanne went next, followed by Vash, Lilli and Antonio. Once they had all gotten out and brushed down their clothing, the group walked towards the door with Francis and Jeanne in the lead. The door swung open for them, and the Spade Royals were just entering the room from the side.

"Welcome, your Majesties," Queen Tino greeted, "I trust your trip went well."

"Perhaps too well, your Majesty," Francis replied as the two groups reached each other, "We may have arrived earlier than we anticipated. This is not a problem, I hope."

"Not at all, your Majesty" Berwald replied, "We were just reviewing our agenda, we can start whenever you like."

"I beg your pardon, but normally Ace Mikkel is here to greet us," Antonio observed, "Is he tied up somewhere?"

"I believe he is, I just sent Emil to find out," Lukas answered, before turning to see Emil rushing into the room and bowing.

"Forgive the intrusion, your Majesties," Emil panted, "Ace Mikkel is still in the yard, having the boys practice their sword-fighting. I don't believe he knew of the early arrival."

"Does he have students now?" Antonio asked, "I should like to observe, if I may. Perhaps I can critique both his skill and theirs."

Emil suddenly had a worried look on his face, and a quick glance by Antonio confirmed that the other Spade Royals felt the same way. Berwald's neutral expression was enhanced with a slightly raised eyebrow. Their reactions only added to Antonio's curiosity.

"I'll allow it," Berwald stated. "Emil, lead Ace Antonio and Lady Lilli to the yard. We will begin our meeting."

"Yes, your Majesty," Emil replied, and the rest of the group left towards the meeting room. The three of them waited for the other door to shut before Antonio asked his question with an all-knowing smirk growing on his face.

"So, why did you all panic at my suggestion?"

"Did I panic?" Emil floundered, as he led them towards the yard.

"Yes, the three of you had a worried look in your eyes when I suggested watching these mysterious boys practice," Antonio elaborated.

"Are they new army recruits?" Lilli curiously asked, "Perhaps with special training?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," Emil answered as he opened the door to the outside. They went to the edge of the balcony and looked down. A few groups of soldiers were training on the grounds, practicing with different weapons. Closer to the castle, Mikkel was practicing one-on-one sword combat with a young blond. A nearly identical blond with longer wavy hair stood on the sidelines watching. Mikkel ended the drill and withdrew from the combat.

"Getting better, Alfred," he said before turning to the wavy haired one, "Okay, Matthew, your turn."

The boy named Alfred went off to the sidelines, and the longer-haired Matthew took his place in the combat circle. As Mikkel took him through the drill, Antonio noticed that Matthew had no trouble keeping up with the Ace. His footwork was clean and agile, and the movements of his blade were very smooth. All too soon, Mikkel was ending the drill.

"Very good, Matthew. Alfred, your turn again."

Alfred went back in, and Matthew went to the sidelines. He was facing away from the balcony to watch the drill, and Antonio suddenly noticed the stairwell they were both standing very close to.

"Lilli, stay up here with Emil, and keep quiet," Antonio whispered before sneaking down the stairs. He was careful to make as little sound as possible, as the creaky stairs would alert Matthew to his presence. At the last platform before the ground level, Antonio quietly pulled out his sword before hopping over the railing to the ground. Matthew still hadn't seen him, so Antonio took his chance and approached. Once he was close enough, he gently raised his sword to have it rest against Matthew's throat.

However, in that split second, Matthew spun and blocked the surprise attack with his own sword. Antonio couldn't help but notice Matthew's strength and control as he quickly made Antonio lower his sword.

"Toni, what the hell are you doing?" Mikkel shouted from the combat ring, having halted his drill with Alfred.

"I see Mikkel has taught you well," Antonio told Matthew, ignoring Mikkel for the moment, "How about a real challenge?"

"Sounds interesting," Matthew replied, still in a defensive stance with his sword at the ready. "What's the challenge?"

"First one to drop their sword loses," Antonio suggested, "No blood needed. Mikkel would probably want my head otherwise."

"I'm good with that," Matthew agreed before turning towards the combat circle.

"Alfred, go ask Emil how Antonio ended up down here," Mikkel ordered as he left the circle. "I'll referee the match. Toni, if you even scratch him, Berwald and Tino will kill you before I can."

As Matthew and Antonio entered the combat circle and took their stances, Alfred went to the staircase and joined Emil and Lilli on the lowest platform.

"Ready?"

Matthew and Antonio both nodded.

"Begin."

Antonio and Matthew began circling. After a moment, Antonio went in for the first move, and Matthew deflected it perfectly. The Ace started pulling out his more complex maneuvers, but found that the young blond kept up easily. After a few minutes of fighting, Matthew found his opportunity to gain the upper-hand and took it, sending Antonio's sword flying out of the circle. Mikkel's laughter started ringing through the yard.

"The Ace of Diamonds, beaten by a sixteen-year-old," he managed to say between breaths, "This is priceless!"

"Ace of Diamonds?" Matthew suddenly asked Antonio with a shocked look on his face, "You're not _that_ Antonio, are you?"

"Yes, that's me," Antonio confirmed, offering his hand in introduction, "Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, Ace of Diamonds. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Matthew replied, still in shock as he accepted the hand and shook it.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you two are Queen Tino's adopted children?" Antonio asked.

"Yes, we are," Alfred explained as he poured himself some tea, "Our parents died several years ago, and he was our closest living relative, so he felt it was better we live here than on the streets."

"That is very sweet of him," Lill commented as Antonio gave her a filled teacup. After the duel in the yard, the group had moved to the garden terrace for lunch.

"Indeed, I can imagine him doing that," Antonio added on, "I must ask though, why didn't he tell us about you boys?"

"We decided it was better to keep quiet about it," Mikkel elaborated, "If the other Suits knew that Tino had adopted them, they could've caused them harm as a method of compromising our judgment. Berwald must have decided today that the boys are ready to fend for themselves if anything were to happen."

"I understand completely," Lilli added on, "Vash is paranoid that anything should happen to me. Queen Jeanne had to twist his arm so that I could make this my very first trip with them."

"All families can be like that," Emil continued, "I hear that Ace Lovino is very protective of Jack Feliciano in Hearts, while King Ivan of Clubs would do anything for his two sisters. Lukas is overprotective of me, while Matthew and Alfred are like children to Tino and nephews to the others."

"King Ivan has it a bit easier than that," Antonio retorted, "Katerina is the only one he needs to take care of. Natalya can handle herself."

"Ah yes, she's probably the craziest of us," Mikkel confirmed, "I hear she's come to odds with the other Suits already. If it weren't for the Code, she'd probably have gone on a killing spree by now."

"The Code," Matthew asked, "What is the Code?"

"Ah yes, I guess Lukas hasn't told you boys about the Code of Aces yet," Mikkel realized, "I wonder how he missed that."

"I wouldn't mind telling them about it, if you like," Antonio offered, "I'm sure you're giving them some education while Tino is Queen, along with that military training. If they stick around to serve any Royals, they might as well know about it."

"And exactly how did you figure that one out?" Mikkel asked as Emil told a servant to bring forward a chess set.

"A pure guess," Antonio replied, "I'd actually be shocked if the boys weren't able to take advantage of their upbringing. By the way, what's with asking for a chess set?"

"I figured it would help with the explanation of the Code," Emil explained, "We had to use it when Mikkel had to learn the Code, so the boys might appreciate it."

"Ah, good idea," Antonio replied as the servant came back with the chess set, "So, shall we begin?"

"Please do," Matthew answered, while Alfred and Lilli nodded their heads.

"The Code of Aces is a set of rules that govern how the Aces behave around the other Royals," Antonio began as he pulled pieces out of the chess set, "We are responsible for protecting the Royals of our own Suit, but we can be ordered to kill Royals of the other Suits if needed."

At this point, he shut the lid on the chess set's box and put it aside. He had placed 8 figures on the table: the two kings, the two queens, the two bishops, and the two knights.

"Let's say that these pieces represent the Royals. White can be Diamonds, black can be Spades. The King and Queen pieces are obvious, the bishops are Jacks, and the knights are Aces."

Antonio lined them up in a row, before moving the two bishops and the white knight forward.

"Let's say that Jack Vash and I were alone in a room with Jack Lukas, and they got into a fight. If Vash got frustrated enough, he would have the authority to have me attack Lukas, and perhaps kill him if desired. Lukas can obviously attempt to defend himself, or a Diamond Royal could call it off and order me to stop, but there are two ways that the other Spade Royals can halt the attack."

Antonio then moved the black knight forward.

"The first option is for Mikkel to intervene. As the Ace of Spades, he can take Lukas's place in the duel, so that I would have to deal with him first before I can attack Lukas again."

Antonio then moved the black king and queen forward.

"The second option would be for a Spade Royal of higher rank to countermand the attack. Since Vash is a Jack, the Queen or King of Spades can command that I stop the attack, and I am required to obey. If I don't, they can order their Ace to execute me as quickly as possible."

"This is also why we Aces tend not to attend the joint meetings," Mikkel added in, "If we were in there while they were having a heated argument, they could order us to attack, and it would quickly become a bloodbath."

"If the Suits are on good terms with each other, the Aces generally aren't needed," Antonio added to complete Mikkel's point, "If tensions are already high, there may be motivation to get the Aces into the meeting room. Usually, we spend our time keeping each other away from the meeting instead."

"I have a question," Matthew said, "What would happen if it was the two Kings in the room with the one Ace?"

"A very good question," Antonio answered, moving the pieces to demonstrate the situation with the white knight as the Ace in question, "If the Kings of Spades and Diamonds are alone with the Ace of Diamonds, Francis can order me to attack Berwald. Obviously, Berwald doesn't have a higher-up Spade Royal to countermand the attack, so his only option is for Mikkel to defend him."

He then moved the black knight forward again.

"Once Mikkel would get involved, he and I would fight until he or Berwald could convince us to stop. If Francis and I intended to kill them both, we have no obligation to meet any demand. If the King and Ace of Spades were able to either turn the duel into a standstill, or make it so that we would be risking our lives instead, we'd be more willing to back down. Ultimately, the King and Ace of the defending Suit would have to convince the King and Ace of the attacking Suit to stop."

"What if it was just one Royal in the room with both Aces?" Alfred asked.

"In that case, the two Aces would fight until a Royal of higher rank from either Suit told us to stop. If a King gave the order, then the other King would have to convince the Ace of the attacking suit to stop. Otherwise, the Aces would fight as long as they like."

"So the Aces serve as both special security to the Royals of their Suits and as an assassin to the other Suits," Lilli attempted to summarize, "That is very interesting."

Before anyone else could comment, a horn sounded from inside the castle, giving off a pattern of blasts. Mikkel and Emil both shot out of their seats as they listened.

"What is it?" Antonio asked, rising a little slower from his seat, "What's going on?"

"That was Lukas," Emil explained as Mikkel ran ahead, "The Royals are under attack!"

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _The "Code of Aces" is actually one of the original ideas I had for this story, with the Aces having their major back-and-forths. It wasn't until I came up with my other idea that the full plot started going._**

 ** _Now I get to figure out how to write a battle scene amongst several term papers, yay! Feel free to leave me reviews, I'd appreciate hearing what you all think so far. Of course, we're still early in the story, so bear that in mind._**


	6. Chapter 6

"Damn it!"

Antonio bolted ahead to join Mikkel, while Emil led the younger group in after them, Alfred and Matthew grabbing their swords by the entrance. They turned the corner into the main hallway in time to see a guard talking to Mikkel and Antonio, while a group of soldiers were using a heavy log as a battering ram to break the door open.

"Assassins have entered the meeting room. They managed to barricade the door from the inside, so we are still trying to get in."

At that moment, the door started to crack and give way after a good thrust of the ram.

"One more thrust will get us in there, boys," Mikkel ordered to the guards, "Be ready for anything when it comes loose!"

"Alfred, Emil, get ready to fight with us," Antonio commanded, "Matthew, take Lilli and get her somewhere safe. Don't let her get hurt, you hear me?"

"Understood," Matthew replied, grabbing Lilli's hand, "Let's go this way, Lilli."

The next thrust threw open the door, and the others jumped in to fight the assassins. Matthew led Lilli back down the side hallway towards the yard, then turned left into a small alcove.

"Where will we go?" Lilli asked.

"We'll take the old servant corridor," Matthew explained, lifting the tapestry on the wall of the alcove to reveal a hidden passageway, "We can hide by a secret entrance to the meeting room and hear when it's safe to come back out."

"Okay."

They quietly went down the hallway for a few minutes, then Matthew paused in front of a tapestry and motioned for Lilli to stop and remain quiet. They could hear the fighting on the other side of the tapestry. Suddenly the tapestry shook as if someone was against it, so Matthew swiftly pulled Lilli to stand beside him, backs to the wall. A body fell through and landed against the wall in front of them. It was a Spade guard, already fatally wounded.

Someone else suddenly came through the hidden opening, dressed in strange attire that stood out as neither Spade or Diamond. They were looking to finish killing the Spade guard when Matthew suddenly drew his sword. The assassin turned and lifted his sword to attack, but Matthew was quicker, swiftly slicing his throat. He fell to the ground, as Matthew and Lilli looked in shock at all the blood.

"You killed him," Lilli gasped.

"I think so," Matthew confirmed, "This spot isn't safe, let's keep going."

They hopped over the bodies and continued down the hallway. At the end, they turned left, and went up a set of stairs. It met a landing partway up, where they turned left again to climb another set of stairs.

"There's another tapestry at the top, which lets out onto the balcony. We'll see if it's safe there.'"

They reached the top, and Matthew motioned for Lilli to stay and wait. He lifted the tapestry, and saw two archers overlooking the throne room. With his sword still out and ready to go, he quietly snuck out and crept up behind the closer one. Matthew noticed that the archer was focused on the left side of the room, and he had a sheathed dagger on the right side of his belt with easy access.

The moment the archer drew his bow to shoot, Matthew made his move. With his left hand, he grabbed at the bow and pulled it, ruining the shot. As the archer yelped at the sudden movement, Matthew dropped his sword and grabbed the dagger from the sheath and stabbed him in the gut. As the archer collapsed in pain, Matthew saw that the second archer was docking an arrow to aim at him.

However, before the second archer could do anything else, an arrow suddenly pierced his neck, and he also collapsed to the ground in a bloody heap.

Noticing there was no one else on his balcony, Matthew looked across to the opposite balcony. A man with straight jaw-length blonde hair was on the other side, wearing orange clothing and a beret that denoted his Diamonds origin. He fired an arrow at the last assassin on that side before looking over and nodding at Matthew. Matthew nodded back before looking down on the meeting room.

Alfred was helping Antonio and Berwald surround the remaining five assassins at the front of the room, while Lukas was lying on the floor by the table with Emil and Mikkel at his side. There was a woman in an orange dress also lying on the ground towards the back of the room, and Tino was at her side along with another blonde man wearing orange.

"That's all of them, your Majesties," the blonde archer shouted from the balcony, "We're in the clear."

Seeing that this was true, Matthew went back to the tapestry, lifting it up for Lilli.

"The fighting is over," he told her, "You can come out now, it's safe."

"Oh, thank goodness," Lilli muttered as she came out. Matthew led her towards the edge of the balcony, where a spiral staircase led them down to the main floor and the other Royals. As they went down, Matthew looked across and saw the blonde archer rushing down the spiral staircase on the other side. As all three got to the bottom, Lilli rushed ahead of Matthew towards the archer.

"Brother, you're okay, thank goodness."

As Lilli hugged the archer, Matthew realized it had been none other than Jack Vash of Diamonds. Once the hug ended, Vash looked past Lilli and directly at Matthew.

"So, who are you," he asked, "and what were you doing with my sister?"

"His name is Matthew," Berwald answered before Matthew could, approaching the trio, "and the one helping Antonio is named Alfred. They are twins that Tino adopted several years ago, they are with us."

"Antonio asked him to protect me, brother," Lilli added on, "He even saved me from an assassin."

"Did he?" Vash asked.

They were interrupted by a wail on the other side of the room.

"Tino, please, there must be something more you can do!"

"I'm sorry, Francis," Tino explained as he rose from the woman's side, "I've done all I can."

Vash and Lilli immediately rushed around to stand by them, while Matthew stayed put with Berwald. Antonio also came over from the front of the room, kneeling where Tino had been a moment before.

"Berwald, who is the woman?" Matthew quietly asked, "Is she alright?"

"She is Queen Jeanne of Diamonds," Berwald answered, "She was stabbed while they were trying to get to King Francis."

"She's not going to make it," Tino reported as he approached Berwald and Matthew, "I used my magic, but all I could do was numb the pain to ease her passing."

"A sad day," Berwald muttered, "Two Royals killed in one fell swoop."

"Two Royals?" Matthew questioned in alarm.

Berwald pointed towards the other end of the table. Remembering he had seen Lukas and Emil there while he was on the balcony, Matthew went around and looked.

Lukas was still lying in the same spot, with his horn still in his hand, and a large bloody wound on his torso. Emil was knelt beside him, holding his brother and weeping. Mikkel was kneeling there, looking on in shock with watery eyes.

A hand suddenly joined Matthew's, and he looked up to see Alfred beside him.

"He's gone, Mattie," Alfred said, "Lukas is dead."


	7. Chapter 7

Berwald sat quietly in his chair in the parlour, while the boys were on the couch opposite him. Aside from breathing and soft clanking of tea cups against saucers, there was hardly any sound.

He tried to think of something to say to the boys, just to break the silence. He wanted to tell them how proud he was of how they handled the attack, but celebrating accomplishments seemed inappropriate when dealing with the stages of grief. He was tempted to talk about how natural and inevitable death is, and how is it a major part of life. However, he realized that the boys already knew this from watching their parents die all those years ago.

The door opened, and all three turned to watch Tino enter the room. He quietly shut the door, before walking over to the chair beside Berwald's.

"Emil and Mikkel are grieving, they will need time," he said, filling the silence of the room as he sat down and got comfortable, "It won't be easy for Emil, since Lukas was his last blood relative. And as much as Mikkel appeared to be a thorn in his side, Lukas was very close to him."

"As much as we knew this day would eventually come, it still doesn't take away from the grief," Berwald added on.

A knock on the door interrupted, and it opened to reveal a guard.

"I beg your pardon, your Majesties," the guard said, "Ace Antonio wishes to speak to you."

"Let him in," Berwald ordered, sitting up properly in his chair.

The door opened further, and the guard allowed Antonio into the room. The Ace approached the seating area, giving a quick bow to Berwald.

"Forgive the intrusion, your Majesties," Antonio began, "I realize you may not want visitors right now. I bring condolences on behalf of all the Diamonds Royalty."

"No, it's alright," Berwald countered, "How are the others holding up?"

"King Francis is heartbroken," Antonio explained, "Vash and Lilli are grieving as well. Your servants have almost finished preparing Queen Jeanne's body for the return home."

"I assume you wish to head back to Diamonds as soon as possible."

"Yes, that is true, we have much to arrange. With a funeral for Queen Jeanne and the coronation of a new Queen, today's trade discussions will likely require postponing."

"Already in search of a new Queen?" Tino inquired, "Would Francis really want to replace his wife so quickly?"

"We will wait for him to say he's ready for the coronation," Antonio replied, "As for our new Queen, Francis sees Lilli as a family member, nothing more."

"Wait, Lilli is the new Queen?" Berwald asked.

"Lady Lilli went to refresh herself, and discovered a Diamond mark on her ankle," Antonio explained, "We will need to have the Diamond Timepiece confirm it, but yes, we believe she will be Queen."

"My goodness, another pair of Royal siblings?" Tino exclaimed, leaning back in his chair.

"The Diamond Royalty may leave when they wish, we will resume the trade discussions when you have your new Queen and we have our new Jack," Berwald stated, "Please give Francis my condolences, and Lilli my best wishes for her visit to the Timepiece."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Antonio bowed again, before heading towards the door. He paused, before turning back.

"If I may add one more personal note," Antonio said, "Should Matthew or Alfred ever wish to leave Spades, we'd be more than happy to have them in Diamonds. Perhaps Vash might even let Matthew serve as personal security to Lady Lilli."

Matthew immediately spat out his tea, his face going red, while Alfred started laughing at him. Antonio merely gave them a large smile before leaving the room.

"Matthew, did something happen with you and Lady Lilli?" Tino quizzed.

"Well, first he beat Antonio in a duel, then he protected Lady Lilli from attackers, and now it sounds like Jack Vash approves of him," Alfred summarized, "In other words, the perfect recipe for romance."

"Alfred, you're ridiculous," Matthew snapped at his brother.

"If it's ridiculous, then why are you blushing?" Tino pointed out.

"Ooh, Tino nailed it," Alfred mocked, "Matthew and Lilli, sitting in a tree…"

"That's enough, Alfred," Berwald intervened, "Even if there is something between Matthew and Lilli, the Deck has already intervened."

"What do you mean by that?" Matthew asked curiously.

"You are a future Spade Royal," Berwald explained, "Once Vash finds out, he won't let you near his little sister, whether or not she is a Queen."

"What a pity," Tino complained, "They would be sweeter than honey together."

"Speaking of future Spade Royals, either Matthew or Alfred here could be our new Jack," Berwald said, "Boys, off with your shirts."

Matthew and Alfred stood up. Alfred rose his shirt above his chest, leaving his coat on. Matthew took off his coat before spinning around and lifting his shirt above his shoulder blades.

"Neither imprint has filled in," Tino observed, "We'll need to find our new Jack."

"We'll honour Lukas and his life first," Berwald said, "Then we'll proclaim the search."

* * *

Tino strolled through the hallways a few days later, the bright late morning sun shining through the windows. They had honoured Lukas the day before, and Tino was starting to return to his cheerful self. Emil and Mikkel were slowly coming around, as they all realized that Lukas wouldn't want them wallowing in misery for so long.

Tino came into the main hall, and noticed an old friend speaking to one of the guards and another young man.

"Eduard, how good to see you!"

The spectacled blonde looked over and smiled.

"Your Majesty, I am glad to find you in good spirits," Eduard said as the guard walked away, "I have someone here you should meet."

The guard walked away, but the other man stayed. Tino couldn't help but notice the man's slightly darker skin and black long ponytail. His cloth looked slightly foreign, but still of decent quality.

"A new assistant?" Tino guessed as he came over to them.

"Not quite, Your Majesty," Eduard replied, "This is Yao Wang, he comes from the Gungshu Pass."

"Ah yes, our newer Far East territory, of course," Tino said as he offered his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, your Majesty," Yao said as he shook Tino's hand and gave a small bow, "Eduard has told me you could help me find out about something."

"Oh really?" Tino asked, puzzled, "I used to work in the same library as Eduard, is the information not there?"

"Trust me, Tino, this is something you can explain to him better than the Library can," Eduard assured, "Yao, show him your arm."

Yao rolled up his sleeve to his shoulder, and Tino gasped as he saw a Spade Mark on his upper arm.

"This mark suddenly appeared a few days ago," Yao claimed, "I travelled here to see what I could learn about it, since the Spades capital would surely have some idea."

"I found him in the Library trying to look it up," Eduard added on, "He genuinely knows nothing about it or of recent events."

"Exactly when did it show up, Yao?" Tino demanded.

"Five days ago, probably early in the afternoon."

"The same afternoon Lukas passed away." Tino muttered in shock.

A pair of boots echoed through the door, and they looked to watch Berwald enter the room.

"What's going on in here?" Berwald demanded, "Who is this?"

"Berwald, find Mikkel," Tino explained, showing Yao's arm. "We need to test Yao's Mark, he might be our new Jack."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Thanks to the couple positive reviews so far. I mainly wanted to make sure that reviews were postable when I originally asked, but I am glad to see this is well-liked so far. Only a couple more set-up chapters until we get into the really juicy stuff._**


	8. Chapter 8

"This band is terrible, Mattie."

"They're not that bad, Al, it's just the flutist that is terrible."

"Not just the flutist, the singer as well," Yao added on, "Shall we move on?"

The boys nodded, and Yao led them on into the market stalls.

Almost two years had past since Yao had become the Jack of Spades, and the capital was celebrating the arrival of summer with a festival. The streets were lined with musicians, market stalls, and other activities. This year, Berwald gave the boys permission to wander the streets with an escort, so Yao was tagging along until Mikkel showed up.

At this point, Yao was really hoping that Mikkel showed up soon. The twins were celebrating their eighteenth birthday next week, and every time he tried to buy gifts without them noticing, Alfred would drag him away to another stall.

"Oh, look at this, Mattie," Alfred called out, "Perfect for your girlfriend."

"For the last time, Al, Queen Lilli is not my girlfriend," Matthew groaned, looking at the necklace Alfred had found with a golden flower pendant, "And yes, that would look lovely on her."

"It really is a pity that the Deck looks down upon relationships between different suits," Yao inserted, "The Queen of Diamonds and a future Spade Royal, it could be a drama worthy of the theatre."

"Very funny," Matthew said blankly as he dragged his brother away from the jewelry. He paused at the end of the rows of stalls while Alfred walked further into the plaza.

"Yao, could I have a silver dollar please?"

"What for?"

Matthew pointed to a small girl on the street corner, in torn clothing, begging for money. Yao could see that her beret was empty, and everyone was just passing by without giving her a single glance.

"It's like seeing myself from 10 years ago," Matthew muttered.

"It's probably a good thing that the Jacks control the Royal Treasury," Yao replied as he pulled out a coin and handed it to Matthew, "I'd wager that you boys would use your generosity to bankrupt the kingdom."

While Matthew went to give it to the little girl, Yao turned and saw that Alfred had joined a crowd to watch something on the plaza, and went to join him.

"Something catch your eye, Alfred?"

"Yeah," Alfred sighed, as if he were in a trance.

As Yao looked at him in confusion, Matthew had shown up at Alfred's other side. The twin looked back and forth between his brother and the stage, before nodding his head in understanding and smirking.

"All right, Al, what is it about him? The blond hair, the green eyes, or the bushy caterpillar eyebrows?"

"All of it," Alfred muttered in reply, still entranced, "He's gorgeous."

As Matthew laughed at the answer, Yao looked at the stage. A young man was up there, arguing with a older beer-bellied man. He looked to be about a little older than the boys, and was wearing clothing that accentuated his thin figure.

The argument ended, and the blond went and sat in the chair on the stage, close to a pedestal where a green orb was sitting on a red cushion. He waved his hand at the pedestal, and a glow of magic lifted the orb into the air.

"Look, Mattie, he can use magic!" Alfred whispered in awe.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I offer a challenge for your viewing pleasure," the beer-bellied man announced to the crowd. "My loyal pet here has incredible magic power, and will zap away anyone to tries to take this orb. For 5 silver dollars, you may take your chance to outwit him. Whoever can take the orb within two minutes will win 100 silver dollars. Any takers?"

A few people came up to the stage and took their chances. Alfred went to join them, but Matthew and Yao held him back.

"Wait a moment, Alfred," Yao explained, "Let's see what he can do first."

The trio waited and watched as the blond easily handled the first few contestants. Whether it was an attempt at a fast swipe or sneaking up to the pedestal, the blond was more than able to move the orb into the air before anyone could touch it. After a few minutes, Yao noticed that Matthew and Alfred had been whispering to each other, before Matthew leaned past his brother to speak to Yao.

"May we please have 5 silver dollars?"

"This had better be worth it," Yao said as he dug out the silver dollars and handed them to Matthew, who then slipped towards the front.

"I've always been the perfect distraction, while Mattie stayed in the shadows," Alfred whispered to Yao while Matthew spoke to the beer-bellied man. "Eyebrows is keeping an eye on whoever is giving his boss the money, so he'll know to watch for one of us, but not two of us."

While Yao listened, he noticed that Alfred's words were ringing true. The blond on the stage had watched Matthew pay the beer-bellied man, and had raised a bushy eyebrow in interest. Matthew met the blond's gaze before disappearing back into the crowd and coming back to Alfred and Yao.

"Our two minutes have started," Matthew said as he shoved his brother towards the stage, "Get moving, Al."

As Alfred stumbled towards the stage, Matthew hung back for a second with Yao.

"Alfred didn't finish telling me the plan," Yao inquired.

"It's simple really," Matthew whispered as he slipped behind to go to Yao's other side, "Alfred keeps him distracted, while I take the orb."

"And how does Alfred plan to keep him distracted enough?" Yao asked before Matthew could slip any further away. Matthew chuckled in response, and flashed a diabolical grin as he slid the brown cloak off of Yao's shoulders.

"Alfred has to flirt with him."

* * *

"That is bullshit, John, I'm not doing that."

"Yes you are, Arthur. And I'll give you twenty lashes and take your next 200 silver dollars of tips if you don't get on the stage right now!"

Arthur gave his boss a vicious glare before turning and going on the stage. The bastard was already stingy enough in giving him his hard-earned tips, using the debts left by Arthur's parents as an excuse to abuse him and treat him like a slave.

He sat in the chair on the stage, and lifted his hand towards the orb on the pedestal. Levitation was one of the more basic forms of magic that the Kirkland family had long studied before his parent's financial ruin, so lifting the orb in the air was easier than drinking tea.

Not interested in listening to John, Arthur looked around at the people who had gathered round the stage to watch. He noticed a young blond in the crowd watching him intently, and wondered how he could see the lad's bright blue eyes through those glasses.

Arthur looked away as the first contestants paid their fares, unknowingly filling John's pockets with money that Arthur and his fellow bartenders and barmaids would never touch. One by one, the contestants tried their various techniques, but all Arthur had to do was lift the orb out of their reaches at the last moment.

It was almost tempting to let one of these fools win it, only to reveal to them that his boss was a fraud.

Arthur noticed a head of blond hair over by John, and looked more closely. The young blond from before was paying his fare, it seemed that he was going to compete. The blond flashed Arthur a look before disappearing into the crowd.

He couldn't help but notice a violet glimmer past the glasses this time, or the slightly longer hair.

The blond was certainly charming.

He wanted to get another glance at the blond, but had to refocus as another contestant nearly took the orb. Once the contestant left the stage grumbling in defeat, a young man stumbled to the front of the crowd and looked straight at Arthur.

Arthur must have been mistaken before. The hair was definitely a bit shorter, and the eyes were very blue.

The young man stepped onto the stage and straightened himself out, before walking over to stand in front of Arthur, ignoring the orb completely.

"What is this?" Arthur asked, "Aren't you trying to take the orb?"

"Why would I want the orb," the young man replied, nervously brushing his hand through his hair, "when the green of your eyes is far more enchanting?"

Arthur deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. Was that a pickup line?

The young man walked right up to Arthur, placed his hands on the arms of the chair and leaned in, trapping Arthur in the chair.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Arthur screeched, feeling his face blushing from the proximity.

"It was hard to tell from afar, I had to make sure," the young man quietly explained.

"Make sure of what?" Arthur spat out, preparing to strike at the next move.

The young man lifted his hand and brushed a finger along one of Arthur's eyebrows, giggling at the touch.

"Mattie was right, they are like caterpillars."

In that moment, Arthur saw red, and pushed the blond off the chair. The blond fell to the ground as Arthur rose from his chair and started channeling some magic.

"Get away from me, you sodding git!"

Before Arthur could cast a spell, something else bumped him and he fell to the ground. Looking up, he saw that John had ran past to the other end of the stage, where he was restraining and yelling at someone wearing a cloak and holding the orb.

Arthur's eyes widened, and he looked at the pedestal. The orb was no longer there.

The cloaked person had taken it while he was distracted.

"Only paying contestants can take the orb," John yelled as he tried to reach for the orb, "Hand it back, you cheating bastard!"

"I didn't cheat, I paid you less than two minutes ago!"

The cloaked person pried John off them long enough to remove the cloak, revealing a young man with blond hair and glasses. Arthur looked back and forth between the two blonds on the stage in shock. Aside from the eye colours and hair lengths, they looked identical.

"What the hell?" Arthur shrieked, "Why are there two of you?"

"He's not another me," the blue-eyed one said from the ground, "He's my twin brother."

"I don't care whether one of them is a magical duplicate," John yelled, "Only one of you paid, so only of you is allowed on the stage. That is the rule!"

"You never said that as a rule at the beginning," the violet-eyed blond rebutted, "In fact, you gave no rules at all about how we had to steal the orb, so I'm technically allowed to use my brother as a distraction if I wish."

"You think you can talk to me like that, you worthless brat?" John yelled back, grabbing the violet-eyed blond's shirt and preparing to punch him. The blond quickly caught the flying fist and flipped John to the ground.

"Yes, I do believe I can speak to you like that," the blond snapped back.

The crowd suddenly parted, and a familiar muscular blond in armour came to the stage, followed by soldiers.

"Matthew, Alfred, what the hell is this?"

"Ace Mikkel, arrest these boys," John pleaded as he sat up, "They cheated in my event, and this one attacked me."

"I highly doubt that is the case, John," Ace Mikkel rebuffed, "I know these boys personally, they know better than that. Now, how exactly did these boys 'cheat' in your event?"

"The challenge was to take this orb from the pedestal," the violet-eyed blond explained, "The one in the chair is a magician, he used his powers to keep the orb away from contestants."

"I distracted him while Mattie took the globe," the blue-eyed blond continued, "He had to pay 5 silver dollars to participate, and the prize is 100."

"Only one of them paid, so only one of them should be on the stage!" John complained.

"You never said that as a rule at the beginning!" Matthew debated.

"Matthew is telling the truth," a new voice said, and the crowd parted to reveal a Far Eastern in royal clothing.

"Jack Yao and Ace Mikkel are both here," a few people muttered.

"Ah, Yao, there you are," Mikkel greeted, "I was wondering how the boys could have gotten separated from you and caused trouble so quickly."

"They sure wouldn't get too far," Yao replied, "No rules were given on how contestants were allowed to take the orb, so Matthew and Alfred did not cheat."

"That sounds good to me," Mikkel confirmed, "Time to pay up the 100 silver dollars, John."

"Uh, Arthur, where did you put the silver?," John asked, expecting him to honour the agreement from earlier.

With Ace Mikkel and Jack Yao watching, Arthur knew they'd be caught, so he took his chance.

"I don't have it, I must have left it at the bar."

"Well, that's not a problem, we'll walk over there together," Mikkel suggested before John could snap at Arthur.

"Which bar is it?" Jack Yao asked.

"It is O'Connell Pub, around the corner," Mikkel explained, "A regular visit for my soldiers, and John here owns it."

"That pub owes 10,000 silver dollars in unpaid taxes," Yao revealed, "The warrant for the owner's arrest crossed my desk this morning."

"If I may add to his list of crimes," Arthur added on, taking advantage of the new situation, "John wanted me to create fake silver dollars for the event prize, so that he wouldn't actually have to pay out the 100 silver dollars. He also threatened to give me twenty lashes and take my next 200 silver dollars of tips from me if I didn't cooperate."

"You fucking rat!" John shouted as he charged at Arthur.

Arthur leapt off his chair to run, but there was no need. The blue-eyed boy had risen from the ground and punched John in the nose, with the momentum making John fall off the stage in a dazed heap.

"Nice punch, Alfred," Matthew commented, "I think I heard the nose break."

On the ground, the soldiers were already restraining John and putting him in handcuffs.

"John O'Connell," Yao stated, "You are hereby charged with tax evasion and attempted counterfeiting of currency. These crimes are punishable by life in prison, and are to be tried in the court of King Berwald of Spades."

As the soldiers carried him away, John was yelling obscenities, but no one was listening anymore. The crowd was already dispersing, with only Arthur and the boys remaining with Ace Mikkel and Jack Yao.

"By the way, Arthur," Yao informed, "Your claim that John threatened you could be considered grounds for abuse charges if you are willing to testify in court."

"I am only one bartender that he has punished over the years," Arthur replied, "I'm sure I can find others to make a case. By the way, what will happen to the pub?"

"Once I finalize the paperwork, the pub will belong to the government as payment of John's debts," Yao explained, "It will remain as such until another arrangement is made or we choose to shut it down."

"John had a cousin who was a well-off businessman," Arthur suggested, "Alistair was interested in taking over the pub someday, he might want still want it."

"Well, if he is still does, tell him to write to me," Yao said, "Now, I must be off. Mikkel finally showed up, so I can leave. It was a pleasure to meet you, Arthur."

"Likewise, Jack Yao," Arthur bowed, "I am sure we will meet again."

Yao nodded back before walking away. The boys were waiting with Mikkel to the side.

"So, Alfred, you wanted your chance to speak with Arthur before we leave?" Mikkel teased as Matthew shoved his brother forward. Alfred stood by Arthur awkwardly for a moment, hand nervously brushing through his hair again. Arthur merely crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"So," Alfred started, "It's Arthur, right?"

"Yes, it is," Arthur said as blankly as possible, noticing Matthew and Mikkel snickering in the background.

"Uh, how did you get tangled up with that guy?" Alfred tried to casually ask.

"Why should I tell you that?" Arthur snapped back, "I don't even know who you are, you sodding git!"

"Oh, oh, sorry," Alfred tried to recover, "I should've done that first. I'm Alfred, and the one laughing at me over there is Matthew."

"I already figured that out, you wanker," Arthur quipped before looking past him at the laughing Ace and brother, "And what could possibly be so funny?"

"How terribly Al is failing," Matthew chuckled in reply.

"Seriously, Al, what happened to those pickup lines I taught you?" Mikkel laughed out.

"Pickup lines?" Arthur stuttered before turning back to Alfred, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"He's head over heels," Matthew intervened before Alfred could say anything else, "He was entranced the moment he saw you."

"Mattie!" Alfred shouted at his brother in alarm.

"You're all ridiculous," Arthur groaned as he turned and walked away to the bar.

As he listened to Alfred whine behind him at the still-laughing pair, Arthur wasn't sure what to think of the day.

John might be gone, but those twin blonds might not be.

* * *

 ** _Author's note_**

 ** _I'm trying to avoid leaving notes at the end of every chapter, but I've gotten so many reviews since the last one that I had to thank you all. Also, I couldn't help but notice that pastaaddict has their own stories on this site that I already enjoy, so I'm stoked to see that you like my writing in return!_**

 ** _Anywho, I have now reached the end of my school term, and I decided back in February that I would have time to post twice a week over the summer. I'm now ready to start that, so I plan to post chapters every Sunday now with the Wednesdays._**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this extra-long intro to Arthur. I was thinking of splitting it in two parts, but decided to keep it all together instead._**


	9. Chapter 9

The sun had finally come over the gates, and Alfred could see that the guards had shovelled a path through the snow overnight. From his perch by the window, he was watching as the servants and guards ran around on the ground in front of the castle entrance. They were all layered in heavy winter clothing, looking to finish their errands as quickly as they could so that they could go back inside.

Normally, inside was a good place to be, but this winter was an exception.

Just before the first snowfall, a nasty plague had started spreading across the Deck, and having everyone huddled together by a warm hearth only made it easier to catch the illness. Not even the Spades castle was immune, and it was like watching history repeat itself for the twins.

First their birth parents fell to a plague, and now their adopted parent had done the same.

Alfred sighed as the recent event returned to his mind and ruined the brighter start to his day. Tino had caught the illness, and was unable to recover. He had passed away a few nights prior, and a cremation was required as soon as possible to prevent anyone else from falling ill.

"Al, are you okay?"

Alfred turned to the voice of his twin, and saw Emil with Matthew.

"I'm okay," Alfred assured, "I just found another way to have it come back to mind, that's all."

"I understand how you feel," Emil explained, "Lukas and I lost our parents to a plague a few months before he became a Jack. I'm thankful that Tino was able to pass on in his sleep, he managed to avoid the intense suffering our parents went through."

"Royals seem to die more often from bloodshed and foul play, don't they?" Matthew mused.

"Indeed," Emil agreed, "There are only a few Royals on record who died of old age. There's a larger number for illness, while bloodshed and poisoning are far more likely."

"Don't worry, Mattie," Alfred reassured, "I'll make sure you live as long as possible."

"You better live that long too, Al," Matthew quipped, "I'd rather not have to bury you."

The three giggled before Emil looked at something closely through the window.

"Is that Mikkel?" He mused, "Who's that with him?"

"They sure are stumbling a lot," Matthew observed, "Didn't he go drinking last night?"

"He did," Emil realized, "The idiot is getting back just now. Berwald will not be pleased."

As the other two talked, Alfred took a close look. Mikkel and his friend were stumbling towards the castle entrance. As the friend lifted his head up, Alfred noticed the familiar pair of eyebrows.

"You guys, that's Arthur there with Mikkel," Alfred pointed out.

"Wait, really?" Matthew asked while looking closer, "I wonder how that happened. Arthur thinks Mikkel is the second-most obnoxious wanker in Spades."

"Second-most?" Emil asked.

"Alfred is in first place, of course," Matthew replied.

As Mikkel and Arthur disappeared into the castle entrance, the trio left their perch and went down the hallway. They turned left and went a little further before looking over the balcony to see where Mikkel and Arthur had just found Berwald and Yao. Berwald appeared to be scolding Mikkel, while Yao helped support Arthur.

"Can you hear what they are saying?" Matthew asked the other two.

"Nope," Alfred replied.

Mikkel took a solid grasp of Arthur's shirt and raised it past his left hip. There was a blue mark on his skin that made Berwald and Yao's eyes widen. Berwald motioned for them to follow them, and Yao helped Mikkel lead Arthur towards the throne room.

"What did they see?" Matthew asked.

"It was a blue mark," Alfred replied, "I didn't see the shape, though."

"You might need new glasses, then, because that was no ordinary mark," Emil explained, "It was a Spade Mark."

* * *

Arthur opened his eyes, and saw a dark blue pillow beside him, making him immediately frown.

His pillow shouldn't be blue.

He lifted his head, but immediately felt a familiar sting of pain in his head, bringing his hands up to massage his forehead.

Another hangover. Lovely.

Once the momentary pain had subsided, he moved his hands and looked around. He had somehow ended up in a very lavish room, on a large queen-size bed with blue sheets probably made of satin.

Arthur tried to remember how he had gotten there. He was working the closing shift at the pub when Alistair and Mikkel had given him a drink.

Of course it was those two bloody wankers.

Arthur could remember the first drink or so, but the memories got a bit fuzzy after that. He remembered going somewhere with Mikkel, and stumbling in a bit of snow. There was also a grandfather clock in there somehow, and Arthur remembered being puzzled by it. The hour hand was halfway between the 11 and 12, as if the time were 11:30, but the minute hand was directly on the 12. Then there was a swirl of blue magic around his hands that morphed into a circular object. A shield, perhaps?

The door opened, and Arthur's eyes widened when he saw King Berwald enter the room, with Jack Yao and Ace Mikkel following.

"Ah good, he's awake," King Berwald commented, "How are you feeling, Arthur?"

"Miserable, your Majesty," Arthur groaned, "I hate hangovers. I should apologize for somehow ending up in the Spades castle, I wager."

"It's alright, I brought you here," Mikkel said, "We put you in this room."

"Arthur, do you remember anything about how you got here?" Yao asked.

"I have vague memories, Jack Yao," Arthur explained, "I remember Alistair and Mikkel getting me drunk, and stumbling through the snow afterwards. There was also a grandfather clock where the hour hand was halfway between the 11 and 12, and the minute hand was directly at the 12. Then there was a swirl of blue magic that turned into a circular object, like a shield. That's about all, I guess."

"Well, at least you remember some of the visual bits," Berwald noticed, "How about we fill in the blanks?"

"That would be greatly appreciated, your Majesty."

"I'll start," Mikkel said enthusiastically, "Alistair told me that you were hiding a secret, so we intentionally got you drunk to find out. After a few beers, you showed us the Mark on your left hip, and I brought you here to the castle to show Berwald and Yao."

"You saw it?" Arthur gasped, clutching his hip.

"Yes, we all did," Yao said as he took over the story, "The large grandfather clock you saw is the Spades Timepiece, which decides who are the Spade Royals. If anyone who is not a current Royal looks upon the Timepiece, the magic will kill them."

"Wait a minute," Arthur intervened, "If I survived seeing the timepiece, then are you implying that I'm a Spade Royal?"

"Yes, we are," Berwald replied, "There is also the blue swirl of magic to confirm it. When a new Spade Royal touches the Timepiece, the magic recognizes them and gives them the weapon that symbolizes their position. I have the King's Sword, Yao has the Jack's Bow, and Mikkel has the Ace's Axe. When you touched it, you received the Queen's Shield."

"And with Queen Tino's death, that makes me the new Queen of Spades," Arthur realized, falling into absolute shock.

"Yep, sure does," Mikkel replied enthusiastically. "Welcome to the party, Artie!"

"Don't call me that," Arthur snapped at Mikkel, although with a smile forming on his face, "Just call me 'Arthur', please."

"Excellent," Berwald stated, "We will start planning the coronation ceremony."

"Berwald, shouldn't we tell him about the boys?" Yao asked, "He will likely be around to see what becomes of them, after all."

"Boys?" Arthur asked, "What boys?"

"A pair of twins that Tino adopted several years ago," Berwald explained, "They have imprints of future Spade Marks on their skin. Since Yao is a newer Jack and you are a new Queen, it is quite likely that one of these boys could end up being your future King or Ace, if not both of them."

"That's quite unusual, finding them so early," Arthur responded, "When will I meet them?"

"You can meet them right now," Berwald replied, before motioning to the Ace, "Mikkel, let them enter."

Mikkel went to the door, and allowed someone to enter. Arthur gasped when Alfred came into sight, followed by Matthew and Emil.

"Alfred? Matthew? What the hell?"

"Sorry we couldn't tell you earlier, Arthur," Matthew apologized, standing with the others while Alfred jumped on the bed to join Arthur, "We couldn't have anyone outside the Royalty knowing our secret. The rest of the Deck might not be pleased about it."

"But now you can know," Alfred said very excitedly, "You can live here with us, and maybe one day I can be your King! Wouldn't that be great?"

"You know what would be great?" Arthur asked.

"What, Artie?"

"A chance to recover from this hangover. Everyone, get out!"

"Can I stay, Artie? I'm great to cuddle with."

"Your voice is only making it worse, so piss off."

"Come along, Alfred," Matthew ordered, grabbing the back of Alfred's shirt and dragged him off the bed and out of the room.

"We will talk about your coronation when you feel better, Arthur," Berwald said as he left the room with Mikkel and Yao.

Once the door was closed, Arthur flopped his head back down onto the pillow.

"Queen Arthur of Spades," Arthur muttered to himself, trying it on the tongue.

Maybe it will sound more appealing once the hangover was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

Yao walked across the small bridge, taking in the scent of the blooming spring flowers. After the difficult winter, spring had arrived in full force, and he loved the feeling of just walking through the lovely castle gardens and clearing his mind. The garden maze had large hedges to make it feel as though there wasn't a large castle or city bordering it, and Yao loved to stroll through it.

He turned the corner in the path, and looked at the gazebo in the center of the gardens. The servants had recently cleaned it out and brought out the outside furniture, so Berwald and Mikkel were sitting there having tea. Yao walked over to join them.

"Do you really think it will be so soon?" Yao heard Mikkel asking Berwald.

"Yes, I'm certain of it," Berwald replied, "Based on how quickly the hour hand appears to have moved since Lukas's death, I believe there will be a new King this summer."

"Forgive me for intruding," Yao said, getting them to notice he was there, "May I join you for tea?"

"Absolutely," Berwald agreed, "Please, do take a seat."

"Thank you," Yao said as he sat down, "I did just hear what you were saying about a new King, would you be willing to explain that to me?"

"Yes, you should probably know as well," Berwald sighed, "Tell me, do you remember what positions the hands of the Timepiece were at when Arthur became Queen?"

"Yes, I do," Yao answered, "Mine was at the 1, Arthur's was at the 12, and yours… it was between the 11 and 12, wasn't it?"

"It sure was," Mikkel continued, "And based on how quickly it has ticked on since you became Jack, Berwald believes his time will come this summer."

"It is coming then?" Yao asked, "Your death?"

"Yes," Berwald admitted.

The trio sat there in silence for a moment to let that sink in.

"We don't know about your own time, don't we, Mikkel?" Yao asked to break the silence.

"The timepiece won't show it to just anyone," Mikkel replied, "The Ace ledgers do say that a Queen with enough magic power would be able to make the timepiece show all four Royal clocks in numerical format. Arthur might be able to make that happen, but I'd rather not know. I'll let my death surprise me."

"I suspect your death may be close to mine," Berwald mused, "It only makes sense."

"Why do you think that?" Yao asked.

"I've always had the feeling that Matthew and Alfred were meant to become Royals together," Berwald elaborated, "It would be devastating if one of them became a Royal first, then died too soon for the other one to rule with their brother. It only makes sense for the Timepiece to have them both get their full Marks around the same time."

"Considering how new Arthur and I are to our Royal ranks, and your known approaching death, is it possible that one brother is a King and the other is an Ace?" Yao concluded.

"That is exactly what I believe will happen," Berwald confirmed.

"If ever a King had the perfect Ace, that pair would make it happen," Mikkel pointed out, "They are both so loyal to each other, so I doubt the Ace would spare any cost to protect their King, nor would the King risk misleading their Ace."

"Both boys are incredibly smart too," Berwald added, "Everything we have taught them over the years has stuck in their minds, and they will handle the pressures of ruling with ease."

"If anything, the only difference I see between the two is their demeanours," Yao observed, "Matthew is calm and humble, while Alfred is very energetic."

"That is where I can't make up my mind," Berwald explained, "On the one hand, Matthew would be a smart and gentle King, and Alfred would be a fiercely protective Ace. On the other hand, Alfred would be a King that can easily win the hearts of the people, while Matthew would excel as an Ace with his duelling prowess and wits."

"Well, I don't think considering Arthur would help make that decision," Mikkel added, "He is starting to fall for Alfred's flirting, and his poise and control would make an excellent match for Alfred's energy. However, Arthur and Matthew compliment each other very well too, and their intelligence and wit could easily take on the other Suits."

A guard approached the table, and spoke quietly to Mikkel for a moment. Sighing, Mikkel stood up from his chair.

"Looters by the market, I've been called out," Mikkel explained, "I will see you both later."

As Mikkel went off with the guard, Berwald took his chance to stand as well.

"I hope you don't mind, Yao," Berwald said, "I have paperwork in the office waiting for me."

"It's quite alright, Berwald," Yao said, "I'll stay here a little longer and finish my tea."

As Berwald left, Yao sat back in his chair and sipped on his tea, pondering on the conversation.

It was certainly an intriguing dilemma, deciding which twin would be better as a King or Ace. Yao certainly works well with both boys, and could easily use that to his advantage no matter which is King or Ace. Alfred was sometimes a little too energetic for Yao's taste, however, which is why he spends more time talking to the calmer twin.

Matthew made this situation quite interesting. Certainly he would make a calm and gentle King, but he doesn't have as much presence in a room as his brother does. He would make a very skilled Ace, especially with his ease of moving unseen, but his intelligence would almost seem wasted on the position of a soldier and assassin.

Having finished his tea, Yao left the cup on the table for the arriving servants to clean up, and he resumed his walk through the gardens. As he came around the corner, he found Matthew rushing along the path.

"Quick, Yao," he whispered, grabbing Yao's arm, "Hide with me!"

"What are we doing?" Yao asked quietly as they climbed into the bushes.

"Just wait and see," Matthew replied, "And keep quiet."

As soon as Matthew finished talking, Arthur stormed around the corner where he had come from, with Alfred on his coattails.

"Arthur, why do you run away every time I try to compliment you?" Alfred pleaded.

"How can you even say those things?" Arthur snapped back, turning to yell at Alfred, "I don't care what you're trying to get out of it, just stop trying to hit on me!"

"Artie, why can't you accept the fact that I think you're beautiful?" Alfred whined, "I try to show you my affections, and you keep changing the topic or pushing me away. Why can't you just tell me how you feel?"

"Because I'm not ready to figure that out, you idiot!"

The two took a moment to collect their breaths, and the enthusiasm was visibly dropping from Alfred's face.

"Woah," Matthew muttered, and Yao waited to see what else would happen.

"I'm sorry, Alfred," Arthur pleaded, "I was starting to warm up to you, but then I became Queen, and I am still adjusting to this new life. I'm not ready to figure out how I feel."

"I get it," Alfred said gloomly, turning and starting to walk away, "Let me know when you do make up your mind."

Once Alfred had turned the corner, Arthur fell to the ground and brought his hands to cover his face. Matthew stood up and left the bushes, and Yao followed him out. Arthur looked up to see them, and it was clear he was also troubled.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed yet," Matthew told Arthur, "but Alfred is getting tired of having his affections brushed off like it's nothing."

"Well, I don't know what to do," Arthur snapped back, "He has charm, I'll give him that. But he is the most annoying wanker on the planet, and it takes so much effort to not strangle him."

"When Alfred gives space, he gives space," Matthew warned, "The next move is yours, so you better make up your mind before Alfred tries to replace you in his mind."

As Matthew walked away to follow his brother, Arthur stood up and left in the opposite direction. Yao stayed where he was, taking in what had happened.

For one, Arthur actually had a sensitive side behind that rough exterior.

Secondly, the twins were scary when angry.

If the four of them did rule together, they'd have to deal with each other's emotional whims on a daily basis.

Could Spades really survive that?

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _At first, my outline had 50 chapters, which I divided into 4 Google Docs as I started writing, and this is the end of Part 1. And yes, the Part divides tie into specific story arcs, so we're about to move on into some more drama..._**


	11. Chapter 11

Matthew emerged from the forest onto the castle grounds, taking in some more of the warm June sunlight. He rode Kumajirou into the stables, having just finished giving the horse some exercise. He dismounted just in front of Kuma's stall, and guided the white horse in.

"Good boy, Kuma," Matthew spoke to the horse, "You enjoyed that ride, didn't you?"

The horse neighed in response, and Matthew removed the saddle from Kuma's back.

Even though the boys would be 19 years old in less than a month, Berwald still wanted them kept secret from the other Suits. Diamonds wasn't an issue, as their Royals already knew of the boys and enjoyed hearing about how they were doing. However, the Clubs Royals may not be so accepting of them, and it was agreed that Matthew and Alfred should stay hidden for the visit. They would alternate often, but Matthew preferred working in the stables while Alfred helped out in the kitchens.

Mikkel had warned him that the Clubs Royals were a strange bunch. Queen Elizaveta appears to be a people-pleaser, but there is an undertone of hunger for power under her smile. Jack Roderich is well-known for being strict and proper. Ace Natalya is apparently very strange, appearing delicate on the first glance, but actually a very skilled and dangerous soldier.

Natalya wasn't the only Royal in her family either.

King Ivan is said to be the strangest of the current Royals. Mikkel said that he may smile a lot, but if things are not going Ivan's way, that smile becomes incredibly menacing and mocking. It is said there is a tinge of madness behind those purple eyes.

As Matthew closed the gate to Kuma's stall, he couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes on him. Seeing Kuma looking at him, he cleared the thought from his mind and moved on to Ladonia's stall.

"Hello, Ladonia," Matthew greeted the horse in a soothing tone, "You get the last ride of the day."

Matthew opened the gate to the stall, and Ladonia neighed as he stroked his neck.

"I can see why the horses like you," an unfamiliar voice said from behind Matthew, "Such a lovely and soothing voice."

Matthew spun around, and saw a stranger behind him. The man was tall and had an imposing figure, dressed in well-tailored green clothing and a white scarf. He had short platinum blond hair and purple eyes.

"You should see what they are like around my brother," Matthew joked as he grabbed Ladonia's saddle, "His voice is so annoying, they like to throw him off their backs."

"I should imagine that he cannot compare to your charm," the stranger assumed.

Matthew turned and noticed the smile. It seemed innocent and conspicuous at the same time.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Matthew asked, finishing the buckles on Ladonia's saddle.

"Yes, there is," the stranger said, "I was looking for some fresh air, and King Berwald suggested I could take one of his horses out for a ride. Perhaps you could ready a horse for me?"

"Looks like I'm already a step ahead of you," Matthew replied, "Ladonia here is one of Berwald's favourites, and he's the only one who hasn't gone for a ride yet today."

"Why is it that you refer to your King as just his name?" The stranger queried, "In Clubs, if any stable boy tried that on me, my Jack would throw them in the dungeon."

Matthew paused to consider the question. He normally didn't have to think twice about having to refer to Berwald as his King, as everyone working at the castle already knew how he and Alfred were adopted by Tino.

Looking back at the stranger, he noticed the smile had changed. The innocence of it was long gone, and it was now a bit more menacing.

 _In Clubs….. my Jack….._

Matthew widened his eyes as he realized who the stranger was.

"Forgive me, your Majesty," Matthew said as he quickly bowed, "My words sometimes slip out before I remember my place."

"Did you just realize who I am?" The stranger questioned.

"Yes, your Majesty," Matthew answered, bringing Ladonia out of the stall, "I realized that only one man could refer to Jack Roderich as 'their' Jack."

"You are smart for a stable boy," the stranger observed as he mounted the horse, "What is your name?"

"Matthew, your Majesty."

"Quite the name for such a pretty face," the stranger commented, "Perhaps I should not torture you, then. Meet me in the gardens at midnight, Matthew. If your voice can be so sweet, I'd wager your gasps and moans of pleasure would be equally satisfying."

He rode off, while Matthew staying in the spot cringing. Once the stranger had ridden Ladonia into the forest, he finally moved from his spot to find Jason and have him finish cleaning the stalls.

Matthew really wouldn't be able to face King Ivan when he returned from his ride.

* * *

"Hurry up with those pots, Alfred!"

"On my way," Alfred shouted back, stacking a few pots together and moving them from the counter where the maids were drying all the dinner dishes. He lifted his pile, and moved out of the main kitchen area towards the storage room. The pots were a little heavier than expected, but Alfred's added strength from the military training helped to keep them all balanced.

He entered the storage room, and put the pots on the counter.

"About time there, Alfred," Steven snarked, "Did those silly maids distract you?"

"Angelique was telling me a way to get into Arthur's good books," Alfred explained, "She recommended I arrange a nice tea party for just the two of us."

"Not bad," Steven commented, "Angelique has good taste for that sort of thing. Will the Queen bite on the invitation, though?"

"That's the problem," Alfred elaborated, "Artie's hardly talked to me since I told him to figure out what he feels."

"You've already given him two months," Steven advised, "If he doesn't give you an answer soon, you should move on and find a pretty lassie to entertain you. You forgot the frying pans, by the way."  
"Oh right, I'm on it," Alfred confirmed, bolting out of the room.

As he was bolting, he really should've looked where he was going. Instead, he bumped right into someone, and they both fell to the floor in the middle of the hallway.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot!"

Alfred looked up to the voice, and saw a lovely young woman. She had long platinum blond hair tied up in a green bow, and violet-blue eyes. She wore a green dress with many petticoats that ended just below her knees. And from the angle where they were sitting on the floor, Alfred could see a dagger strapped to her leg.

"Sorry, miss," Alfred apologized, getting onto his knees and reaching over to lend her a hand, "I should've watched where I was going."

"Yes, you should have," the woman said, pushing Alfred's offered hand away before climbing onto her feet on her own.

"Do you need a hand finding anything?"

"Why should I let you help me?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice that you're from Clubs. I can show you where everything is in the castle."

"I can find everything myself," the woman snapped before walking away.

Alfred stood there in the hallway as she turned the corner.

If someone could draw his attention away from Arthur, she certainly had. She seemed to have a similar harsh personality, though, and that dagger was bad news.

Alfred's turn-ons must really involve death wishes.


	12. Chapter 12

The moon was very bright tonight, and it allowed Arthur to see all corners of the gardens from the library's balcony.

This was his favourite way to wind down after a long day. The maid had already brought him a pot of tea, and he could sit and just look at the stars or the scenery. Matthew and Yao would often join him if welcome, as they also enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Alfred would never be allowed to join, of course, and the others already knew not to invite him.

As Arthur sipped on his tea, he reflected on the day's proceedings. The Clubs Royals were quite interesting, to say the least. The discussions themselves had gone quite smoothly, and Arthur had a pleasant walk with Queen Elizaveta in the gardens following dinner. That woman really loved to gossip, and was even more inclined to talk once she realized how little Arthur knew of the Deck's other Royals.

He really didn't need to know about all the rumoured affairs.

Especially about all the ways the Clubs Royals sexually entertained each other.

Arthur's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, so he turned and saw that Matthew had joined him.

"I hear the discussions went well today," Matthew said, going to take one of the extra teacups from the table.

"They definitely did," Arthur replied, coming over to refill his cup, "The Clubs Royals are quite smart and well-spoken."

As Matthew finished pouring his tea and put down the pot, Arthur levitated the sugar out of Matthew's reach. Matthew looked at Arthur with a raised eyebrow.

"May I have the sugar, please?" He asked, "You know I like my tea sweet, Arthur."

"I know you do," Arthur replied, "but you need to talk first."

"What's this about?"

"The housekeeper says you shirked the last of your duties in the stables this evening," Arthur reported, "Would you care to explain yourself?"

"I met King Ivan," Matthew explained, "He came to take one of Berwald's horses for a ride, and I really didn't want to be there when he returned. He suggested I meet with him in the gardens at midnight."

"Did he really? Do you know why?"

"I think I do, and that's what creeps me out. He said I have a lovely voice and pretty face, and that he wouldn't mind hearing me moan and gasp in pleasure."

Arthur choked on his breath, then started laughing.

"It's not funny, Arthur," Matthew whined, slapping Arthur's arm to make him stop laughing.

"Relax, I'm not recommending you still meet him," Arthur explained, "In fact, I'd recommend not meeting him, after what Elizaveta told me today."

"Do I want to know what she told you?"

"Probably not, I might need a bucket of brain bleach after hearing it all. In short, Ivan would be too rough for you, and you're better off staying abstinent for your entire life than indulging in any of the Deck Royals. Except Queen Lilli, of course, but Vash would chop off your head before you could try anything."

"Elizaveta didn't say anything about Lilli having…. been with anyone else, did she?"

"She is not rumoured to have had anyone yet. Apparently Ludwig and Ivan have pursued her, but Antonio is just as protective of her as Vash."

"Good to know."

Arthur looked at Matthew with a raised eyebrow.

"Was that a hint of jealousy in there, Matthew?"

Matthew chuckled.

"Perhaps."

"Oh goodness, you're just as hopelessly romantic as your brother!"

"Speaking of my brother, have you figured out what you think of Alfred yet?"

"Not yet, why do you ask?"

Matthew smirked at that.

"You might want to figure that out soon, a girl may have captured Alfred's attention."

"What girl?"

"When I got back to the room this evening, Alfred was raving about this gorgeous Club girl he bumped into in the hallway. She was a little snappy, and she had a dagger hidden beneath her skirts, but he still thinks that she's gorgeous."

"What does she look like?"

Arthur did try to make the question sound like curiosity instead of jealousy, but still earned a raised eyebrow from Matthew instead.

"Long platinum blond hair, violet-blue eyes, and a green dress ending above her ankles. Come to think of it, those features certainly sound a lot like Ivan's."

Arthur burst into laughter at the description.

"That's because she might be Ivan's sister. Alfred certainly has a death wish if he thinks she'd give him the time of day."

"Ivan's sister? As in Ace Natalya?"

"Precisely. Still, you and Alfred have similar charm. If Ivan likes you, then perhaps she could fancy Alfred. She could be trouble."

"That's strange, I thought you recently said you didn't care what Alfred does."

"I don't care. He is just on his way to being an idiot."

"Stop denying it, Arthur, you like him back."

"No I don't!"

Arthur turned to say more, but stopped. Matthew's smile had suddenly dropped, and something in the garden had captured his attention. Arthur turned to look as well, and saw King Ivan and Ace Natalya walking through the garden.

"It's only 11:45. A bit early for him to be waiting for me, isn't it? And if that is Natalya, what is she doing with him?"

"I'm not sure," Arthur muttered, watching as Ivan and Natalya went to the edge of the garden by the Spades Royals sleeping quarters. They spoke to the guard at the entrance for a second, before Natalya pulled something out and came chest-to-chest with the guard.

"Arthur, she just pulled out a dagger," Matthew muttered in alarm, "She just killed the guard!"  
They kept watching as Natalya withdrew, and the guard fell to the ground and stayed there. As Ivan and Natalya stepped past and into the castle wing, Arthur immediately left the balcony and bolted through the library.

"Why would they kill a guard to get into our wing of the castle?" Matthew asked as he rushed to catch up to Arthur.

"Whatever their plans are, we need to get Mikkel right now," Arthur replied as they entered the hallway, "They're not up to anything good, that's for sure."

* * *

"So, what will you do when we're all gone, Emil?"

"I'm not sure yet," Emil explained as Mikkel propped his feet up on the table in the Ace's quarters and downed some more beer, "I'll probably work for the twins as an advisor for a while, before retiring to the countryside."

"How boring," Mikkel whined, "You need a distraction, boy."

"Stop calling me 'boy', I'm 27 already," Emil groaned, "You're just as bad as Berwald."

"Would you rather I call you 'little brother' like Lukas did?" Mikkel suggested, with a large smile forming on his face.

"Absolutely not," Emil ordered.

"Fine, fine. Still, you need someone to keep you company when we're gone."

"I might find someone eventually, so screw off."

Before Mikkel could say anything, someone started hammering on the door.

"Mikkel, open up, we have a problem!"

"Was that Arthur?" Emil asked as Mikkel stood up.

"Yeah, and it's almost midnight," Mikkel groaned as he walked over to the door and opened it, coming face to face with the Queen.

"What is it, Artie?" Mikkel asked as Arthur quickly bolted in, "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"No, it can't, because it's happening right now," Arthur frantically said.

"What's going on, Arthur?" Emil asked, standing up from his spot.

"King Ivan and Ace Natalya are acting suspiciously," Arthur explained, "Matthew and I were on the balcony, and saw them walking through the gardens. They killed a guard, and are now walking through this wing of the castle."

The door opened again, and Mikkel spun to face the entrants. Alfred came through, and Matthew quietly slid in afterwards, watching outside while slowly closing the door.

"Everybody quiet," Alfred whispered, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "They are just outside the door!"

Everyone stopped talking and listened. Loud footsteps could be heard passing by the door, and Mikkel swore he could hear the click of heels. Once the sound had subsided enough, Matthew cracked the door open to take a look, before turning back to the others.

"All clear," Matthew announced to the others, "They turned the corner towards the other quarters."

"All four of you, into the hidden corridors," Mikkel ordered, lifting a tapestry along the wall to reveal the escape route, "Matthew and Emil, go wake up Berwald. Alfred and Arthur, go get Yao. I'll take the hallway and approach Ivan and Natalya."

"Are you sure you don't want any backup?" Emil asked, pausing by the hidden entrance while the others slipped through.

"It's okay, Emil, I'll be fine," Mikkel assured, giving Emil a push into the alcove, "I'm the Ace of Spades, it's part of the job. Now, go."

Mikkel dropped the tapestry to hide the alcove and went to the front door of the room, grabbing a sword on the way. Taking every precaution he could, he slowly opened the door and scouted the hallway.

He could hear the footsteps, but they weren't in this hallway.

Mikkel left the room, softly closing the door while he did so, and followed the footsteps. When he turned the corner, he saw Ivan and Natalya walking ahead.

"Brother, how will we know if the Absorbing has begun?" Mikkel heard Natalya ask.

"I'm not sure, Sister, but the time is right. His Mark should change differently when it happens." Ivan explained.

"What is this about Marks, your Majesty?" Mikkel intentionally asked loudly, emerging from his hiding spot. Ivan and Natalya immediately halted and spun around to look at him.

"What are you doing in the hallways so late, Ace Mikkel?" Ivan asked in return.

"I should be asking the same of you, your Majesty," Mikkel replied as he approached the pair, "It's late in the night, you are wandering far away from your guest quarters, and a report just surfaced of a murdered guard."

"Shit, how does he already know?" Natalya tried to whisper to her brother, but Mikkel still heard it.

"I have my sources, Natalya," Mikkel replied on Ivan's behalf.

"You are outnumbered, Mikkel," Ivan informed Mikkel, with a menacing smile forming, "Two Aces in one room, with a King to command. Natalya, I will go on ahead. Kill him."

"Yes, brother," Natalya said, pulling two daggers out of their hiding spots, and flashing a sadistic smile at Mikkel.

As Ivan turned to keep going down the hallway, Natalya charged, and Mikkel was ready for her.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Oh dear, what am I plotting here?_**

 ** _Obviously, a few things have been hinted at in this chapter. For one, I have a detailed headcannon about exactly what those Clubs Royals do to 'sexually entertain' each other and what they do with the other Suits, but I'm still deciding on how to incorporate that into the story, and if I even should. I may describe some of these later on, but it has to fit without distracting from the main story. I will point out that this story would be rated M if I was planning to actually write sex scenes._**

 ** _Also, I wasn't planning to hint at the story title so early on, but I realized when writing this chapter that I could slip it in here without it being revealed too quickly._**


	13. Chapter 13

"Where are we splitting up?"

"Just down a little further here, Al."

The group was moving through the corridor as quickly as they could, before reaching the end of a path. The new segment of corridor split off to the left and right.

"Alfred, Arthur, go to the left, Yao's quarters are down that way," Emil instructed, "Matthew and I will go right to Berwald's."

"Okay, we'll find Mikkel once we have Yao," Arthur replied, dragging Alfred's sleeve, "Come along, Alfred, let's get going."

"Stay safe, Mattie!" Alfred said, before going off with Arthur.

Once that pair had turned out of sight, Matthew and Emil went off in the other direction towards Berwald's quarters. They rushed down the corridors, making a few turns here and there, before Emil stopped Matthew in front of a tapestry.

"Here it is," Emil quietly explained, "Berwald's wardrobe is on the other side, and we'll enter his chamber that way. Mikkel said he was tired and went to bed early, so we probably have to wake him up."

Matthew nodded in reply, and Emil led him into the wardrobe. As Matthew followed and dropped the tapestry, Emil made a way through the hanging clothes and to the door into the bedroom. Once Matthew was behind him and ready to go, Emil nudged the door open, and took a quick look.

They were too late.

Berwald was laying on the bed, as expected. However, King Ivan was straddled on top of him. In the dim light, Emil could see one of Ivan's hands covering Berwald's mouth, covering the sounds he was making. Ivan's other hand was on a dagger.

A dagger already in Berwald's chest.

"No," Matthew muttered, having leaned above Emil to peak through the door.

"Hush," Emil muttered back, "Ivan can't know we're here."

The boys watched in horror as Ivan stayed in place, keeping Berwald quiet. Once Berwald's twitching has stopped, Ivan was able to remove his hand from Berwald's and grab the limp right wrist. After a moment of holding Berwald's wrist, Ivan started looking at it in confusion. He dropped the wrist, and pulled down the left side of Berwald's collar, looking for something there.

"Damn it, too soon," Ivan muttered angrily, before pulling the dagger out of Berwald. He climbed off the bed and went to leave the room. Once Ivan had gone through and shut the door, the two boys bolted out of the wardrobe and to the bed.

"Berwald, wake up," Matthew pleaded quietly, shaking Berwald's body as Emil looked more closely at the wound.

"Matthew, it's no use," Emil said, "He's dead."

Matthew stopped shaking the body, and took a moment to catch his breath and let the facts sink in. Both boys sat still there for a minute or two, before Emil went around the other side of the bed, and lifted Berwald's collar up.

"Nothing there," Matthew observed, "Why would Ivan want to look there?"

"Berwald's Spade Mark was here on his left shoulder," Emil explained, "When a Royal dies, their Mark fades away from their skin, as if it were never there to start with. Incidentally, this is the same moment that the Mark shows up on the new Royal who will replace them."

After a moment, Matthew stood up and left the side of the bed, walking over to the standing mirror while pulling off his coats.

"What are you doing?" Emil asked.

He didn't really need to ask it, though, since Matthew took off the last shirt moments later to expose his back.

Matthew's imprint had become a full Spade Mark.

"Matthew, your imprint," Emil said in shock, "You're the new King of Spades!"

Matthew nodded as he stared at his reflection, having turned his back to the mirror to see. The Spade Mark spanned across his shoulder blades, and had filled in with a very deep blue. After a moment, Matthew bent over to pick up one of the shirts he had torn off.

"Emil, find a servant to help you take care of Berwald's body," Matthew ordered as he put the shirt back on and went to the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" Emil questioned.

Matthew paused at the door, grabbing a dagger that was nearby, before opening the door and turning back to Emil with a furious look in his eyes.

"I'm hunting down that dirtbag of a Club King."

* * *

Having just finished his paperwork, Yao put away his quill and stood from the desk in his quarters. It had been a long day, and plenty of tasks were completed. Jack Roderich was excellent to work with, and the new trade arrangement looked very promising.

Ready for sleep, Yao walked over to his wardrobe, and opened the door. He entered the small room, and turned to his right to get some sleepwear. As he looked through the hanging clothes, he noticed some other clothes shuffling at the back of the closet. Once he heard voices, Yao, immediately pulled out a hidden dagger and pointed it at the movement, just in time for someone to emerge from the clothes.

"Woah, woah," Alfred exclaimed, putting his hands in the air in surrender, "It's just me, Yao. You can put down the dagger."

"What the hell are you doing in my wardrobe?" Yao yelled as he put the dagger away.

"There's been a possible security threat," Alfred explained, grabbing Yao's wrist, "Mikkel sent us to get you."

"Us? What do you mean, 'us'?" Yao asked as Alfred dragged him into the clothes, "And why are you dragging me into the back of the closet?"

"There's a hidden corridor back here," Alfred pointed out as he dragged Yao through a hole in the wall behind the tapestry, into the hidden corridor where Arthur was waiting.

"Could you have made any more noise, Alfred?" Arthur nagged.

"Arthur, what is going on?" Yao asked.

"Ivan and Natalya killed a guard, and they're now roaming this wing of the castle," Arthur explained, "Mikkel went after them, sending us to get you."

"Matthew and Emil went to wake Berwald up," Alfred elaborated, "Now that we found you, we can see where Mikkel ended up."

"Okay then, where are we going?" Yao asked.

"The main hall balcony's hidden door is not far from here, we'll go that way."

Yao and Arthur followed Alfred down the hidden corridor. A right turn was followed by a left and some stairs to a lower floor, before they stopped in front of a tapestry and went through it onto the balcony.

"Hush," Alfred whispered.

All three stayed quiet, and Yao could hear metal hitting metal on the hall floor below, along with some grunts and yells from two different voices.

"A swordfight?" Yao muttered, as they went to the edge of the balcony to look down.

In the hall, Mikkel was fighting Natalya. He had pulled out the Spades Axe to attack with, and she was using the Clubs Axe.

"Who is she?" Alfred quietly asked, as they watched the fight, "I bumped into her in the kitchens earlier, she's gorgeous."

"That is Ace Natalya of Clubs, you nitwit," Arthur snapped back.

"Really? Ivan's sister?" Alfred exclaimed, "Damn, that's some bad luck."

Their little talk was interrupted, as Natalya landed a blow hard enough for Mikkel's Axe to fly across the room. Before Mikkel could go after the Axe, Natalya swung hers again, chopping into Mikkel's stomach.

"Bollocks, no!" Arthur exclaimed.

His outburst was loud enough to get Natalya's attention, and she looked up at the three on the balcony.

"Come on, let's move!" Alfred said, as he pulled Yao and Arthur away from the balcony, leading them down the stairs to the main floor. As they went down, Yao saw Natalya hovering above Mikkel's body for a moment, before she stood up and bolted. By the time they reached the bottom of the staircase, she had already left the room. The three rushed over to where Mikkel lay on the floor. Arthur knelt by Mikkel and prepared to use healing magic.

"Can you do anything, Artie?" Alfred asked, having knelt at Mikkel's other side.

"That is a lot of blood," Yao observed, grabbing Mikkel's wrist, "Already cold, and no pulse."

Arthur summoned some magic, and hovered the power over Mikkel's stomach for a moment. He then shook his hand and ended the spell.

"It's too late," Arthur said in shock, "He's gone."

The trio stayed as they were for a moment, letting the death sink in.

"What do we do now?" Alfred asked, breaking the silence.

"Ivan and Natalya are running around somewhere in the castle," Arthur estimated, "We should find Berwald, Matthew and Emil before they do."

"You two go after the others," Yao suggested, "I'll find some servants to deal with this, along with some guards to help you gather Ivan and Natalya."

"Sounds good," Arthur agreed, "Alfred, let's go."

Yao followed the three out of the room, then stayed and watched as they went down the hallway and turned a corner, before he went his own way to find help.


	14. Chapter 14

"Let's go this way, Artie," Alfred suggested, and Arthur followed him down the hallway.

"So, what exactly happened between you and Natalya earlier?" Arthur interrogated as they ran.

"She and I bumped in the kitchen hallways," Alfred explained, "I tried to be courteous, but she was snappy. I knew she was trouble, but not like this."

"Matthew said you were raving about how gorgeous she was."

"Yeah, but that was before I realized she was the last person in the Deck I should be trying anything with."

As they came to a corner, Arthur motioned for Alfred to stop and listen. Voices could be heard from the next hallway.

"I think that's Natalya," Arthur whispered, "She's talking to someone."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Alfred asked, pushing past Arthur and around the corner.

"Wait a second, you stupid git!" Arthur exclaimed, following Alfred and nearly bumping into him when he stopped in the new hallway.

Ivan and Natalya were standing right there, looking at them.

"Why, Queen Arthur, what a pleasant surprise!" Ivan greeted, a large smile on his face, "And who is this with you? He almost looks like sweet Matthew."

"It's not your stable boy, Brother," Natalya pointed out, "He's the obnoxious kitchen hand I told you about."

"I'm not obnoxious," Alfred defended, "And how the hell do you know Mattie?"

"My goodness, Matthew might have been right," Ivan joked with his sister, "His voice certainly is annoying."

"Quit the crap, Ivan," Arthur intervened, "Your sister here just killed Ace Mikkel."

"I know she did, I ordered her to," Ivan countered, the smile becoming more sadistic, "Just like how I am now ordering her to kill you as well."

"Over my dead body, you bastard!" Alfred yelled back, standing in front of Arthur and pulling out his sword.

"That can be arranged," Ivan responded, "Natalya, kill them both."

"Yes, Brother."

Natalya pulled out two daggers, and charged at Alfred with a bloodthirsty look on her face. Arthur immediately backed off as Alfred went to block the swings of Natalya's daggers, and watched in fear as the two fought.

After a couple minutes of fighting and circling, Natalya found an opening, and a dagger made it to Alfred's chest.

"Alfred, no!" Arthur screamed in horror.

Alfred backed away from Natalya, hand at his chest. He then looked down and removed his hand from where the dagger struck.

No blood. Just a torn shirt.

A torn shirt, revealing a blue Spade Mark on his chest.

"Bloody hell, Alfred," Arthur gasped in shock and relief.

"You've got to be kidding me," Natalya groaned, "He's a Royal?"

"It appears so," Ivan observed, "The question is, which one is he?"

"He's the Ace, of course," Arthur said, "Considering Mikkel was just killed."

"Well, whichever one he is, I can still command Natalya to kill him as well."

Before Arthur could ask what Ivan was talking about, a dagger appeared at the King's throat.

"I wouldn't count on her fulfilling that order, if I were you," a very familiar blond said, coming out from behind Ivan, holding the dagger in place.

"Mattie, about time!" Alfred cheered, blocking another attack from Natalya.

"Matthew, how lovely of you to join us," Ivan greeted, "Now, why the angry face?"

"You killed Berwald, that's why," Matthew said, glaring at Ivan.

"What?" Arthur gasped.

"I don't know what you're talking about, my sunflower," Ivan said.

"Liar," Matthew accused, pushing the blade a bit harder against Ivan's throat, "I saw you holding a dagger in Berwald's chest."

"Get your blade away from my brother's neck, you pathetic stable boy!" Natalya ordered, before swinging her daggers at Alfred in the moment of distraction.

"Not until you drop your weapons and stand down, Natalya," Matthew countermanded, turning his attention briefly to Natalya, whose attempts Alfred successfully blocked.

"You can't order me around, you wretch!" Natalya refused, taking out her anger on Alfred, who kept blocking her blows.

"Are you sure about that?" Matthew asked, turning back to face Ivan again. Holding the dagger steady at Ivan's throat, Matthew used his free hand to pull off his shirt. Arthur had to remember not to stare at the lad's muscles, focusing instead on the newly exposed Spade Mark across his shoulder blades.

"What the hell?" Natalya shrieked, "You both have Spade Marks?"

"They sure do," Arthur confirmed, "And if Alfred is the Ace, then Matthew is..."

"The new King of Spades," Matthew finished, switching the dagger to the other hand while shaking the sleeve of the shirt off his right arm.

"Well, if that's the case," Ivan sneered, a large smirk forming on his face while a swirl of green magic formed around his right hand, "then long live the King."

"Matthew, look out!" Arthur shouted in warning, as the swirl of magic transformed into the Clubs Sword. Ivan swung the Sword, but Matthew quickly brought his dagger-wielding left arm down to block Ivan's blow. Matthew quickly ducked below the Sword, before pulling Ivan's arm behind him. Pegging the Sword-wielding arm behind Ivan's back with his right hand, Matthew brought the dagger back around to Ivan's throat with his left hand.

"Natalya, stand down, or I'll kill your brother," Matthew threatened from behind Ivan's shoulder.

Alfred took the chance to swing his sword at Natalya, and she backed off. As she kept pointing her daggers at Alfred, she glared at each of the boys in turn.

Loud voices suddenly shouted, and Arthur turned to see Yao arriving with guards from behind him. More loud voices came from behind Matthew and Ivan, as Emil showed up with another group of guards.

"You're surrounded, Natalya," Matthew stated, "Drop your weapons."

Glaring venomously at Matthew, Natalya stepped back from her fight with Alfred, throwing her daggers to the ground.

"Guards, bind her hands," Yao ordered, and a couple guards stepped forward with some rope. Alfred approached and held his sword at Natalya's neck, while Arthur went behind her to place a spell on the binds.

"I stepped down willingly," Natalya growled, "Keep that away from my neck."

"Just making sure you cooperate, honey," Alfred shot back, with a sadistic smile forming on his face.

"Alfred, behave yourself," Matthew ordered, moving in front of Ivan so the guards could also bind his hands.

"You really should have waited for me in the gardens, Matthew," Ivan scolded in a playful tone, "You wouldn't have had to deal with this."

"And serve as your alibi for Berwald's murder?" Matthew retorted, "I don't think so."

"Matthew, put your shirt back on before he's tempted to keep flirting with you," Arthur instructed, handing Matthew's shirt back to him. As Matthew walked towards his brother, Arthur came behind Ivan, and summoned a spell for his binds.

"Aw, you want him for yourself, don't you?" Ivan queried, "Can't say I blame you."

"Shut up, Ivan," Arthur threatened, "or I'll have your mouth bound shut as well."

Once the spell was complete, Arthur backed away, and turned to Yao.

"Go tell Elizaveta and Roderich that the Clubs Royalty must leave Spades immediately," Arthur commanded, "My magic will keep Ivan and Natalya bound until they cross the border."

Yao led the guards out of the room with the two captives, leaving Arthur alone with Matthew, Alfred and Emil.

"Servants are already taking care of the bodies, Arthur," Emil reported.

"What happened to Mikkel?" Matthew asked.

"He was fighting Natalya in the main hall," Alfred said, "She landed the killing blow."

"So Berwald and Mikkel are both dead," Arthur summarized, "And you boys are the new King and Ace."

"Wait a second," Emil realized, "Since Berwald and Mikkel died within minutes of each other, doesn't that mean either one of you could be King?"

"That's very true," Matthew agreed, "How do we find out for sure?"

"There's only one way to find out," Arthur said, "You two need to visit the Spades Timepiece."

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _One of my original ideas was to have them check for Alfred's Mark in the previous chapter when they were with Mikkel's corpse, but having Natalya cut his shirt open during a fight to reveal it ended up being more interesting._**

 ** _I was originally expecting these three chapters to need six chapters, but it looks like my ideas may not need that many words to articulate. Ah well, we are going at a fun pace now. I've been looking forward to this chapter since I outlined it, and we're going to start having more fun stuff happening soon._**


	15. Chapter 15

Alfred really can't stand having to be in grief, as it goes entirely against his cheerful persona. He has already mourned the deaths of 6 family members, both by blood and by adoption, and he hadn't even turned 19 yet.

He had something new to help him move on now, though. Arthur promised they would visit the Spades Timepiece three days after the double funeral, and that morning had now come.

Alfred paused in the sunny hallway, looking at the balcony where his brother was standing. He walked over and wrapped his arm around Matthew's shoulders.

"Today's the day," Alfred said enthusiastically, "Are you ready for this?"

"I'd say I was ready, but you might be more so than I," Matthew replied with less enthusiasm.

"You're not scared, are you?"

"I'm not scared, Al, just a bit worried. Being a Royal is a huge responsibility, whether I end up a King or an Ace."

"You're gonna be great, Mattie. If either of us were to screw it up, it will be me."

"You better not, because I'd have to bail you out of trouble."

"It won't just be you, Arthur and Yao will help out."

"Yes, because they can actually hold Natalya back when Ivan orders her to kill us."

"Stop being a downer, Mattie, we'll be great. I'll be an awesome King, and you'll be the best Ace anyone could ask for."

"What makes you think I'll be your Ace? What if you're the Ace?"

"I have to be King if I expect to stand a chance with Arthur."

Matthew laughed at that.

"It doesn't matter whether you're an Ace or a King for that, you and Arthur would still need to figure things out either way."

"Didn't you say I made some ground with him, though?"

"Yes, Arthur was jealous of you liking Natalya, and he nearly had a heart attack when she almost killed you, so there's definitely something there. However, he still needs to accepts that those feelings are there and that he likes you back, so give him a bit more time."

"All right, I will."

The boys stood there quietly for a moment, looking out at the castle grounds, before they heard footsteps behind them. They turned to see Arthur and Yao standing there.

"It is time," Yao said.

The boys followed Arthur and Yao off the balcony, and towards the throne room. Emil was standing in front of the door, and opened it to let the Royals in. Once they had all entered the room, Emil shut the door behind them.

"They really keep restricted access for the Timepiece, don't they?" Matthew observed.

"Only the Royals are allowed to access the Timepiece," Yao explained as Arthur went behind the throne to lift the tapestry, revealing a hidden corridor, "If anyone knew where it was hidden, they'd try to steal it. That's why no one is allowed in the room when we go to see it."

"Doesn't the magic kill non-Royals when they see the Timepiece?" Alfred asked.

"Yes it does, but it's always good to be careful," Arthur said as everyone climbed in.

The group walked down to the end of the corridor, which ended with a small room with a large grandfather clock. The hour hand was directly at the 12, while the minute hand was halfway to the 1, and the second hand was just past the 1.

"The Spade Timepiece is a clock?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, the Timepiece is a clock," Arthur explained, "The hands represent the reign of a Royal. The movement of the hand around the clock is paced according to the length of a Royal's reign. When it hits the 12, the Royal dies and a new Royal takes their place. The hour hand represents the King, the minute hand represents the Queen, and the second hand represents the Jack."

"What of the Ace's time?" Matthew questioned, "Is it not shown?"

"It is not shown directly," Yao elaborated, "A Queen with enough magic power could show all four times in numerical format if they wished to."

"Where did you hear that from?" Arthur asked.

"Mikkel told me," Yao explained, "It's apparently written in the Ace ledgers."

"So, how does it say which of us is the King?" Alfred asked.

"You need to touch the clock," Yao said, "The magic will recognize you, and it will give you the weapon that symbolizes your Royal rank. One of you will get the King's Sword, while the other gets the Ace's Axe."

Alfred took a deep breath, and looked at his brother, noticing that Matthew still looked a bit nervous.

"Come on, Mattie, we'll touch it at the same time," Alfred suggested.

Matthew nodded, and the boys reached out to the Timepiece, Alfred using his left hand and Matthew using his right. The moment they touched it, blue magic swirled around their hands and up their arms. It gave a bit of pressure, forcing them to move their hands away from the Timepiece into midair. Suddenly a little nervous about watching his own hand, Alfred looked over and watched as the magic swirled more intensely around his brother's hand. The magic persuaded his own hand to enclose itself around something, and Alfred kept watching as his brother's hand was forced to do the same.

Suddenly, the magic shot down below Matthew's hand, forming what looked like the shaft of a weapon. Above his hand, a large shape flattened out with a broad surface with curved edges. Once the shape was fully made, the magic in Matthew's hand materialized into the Ace's Axe.

Feeling a sudden weight, Alfred looked at his own hand.

He was holding the King's Sword.

"Really?" Arthur groaned behind him, while Yao chuckled.

"Of course he ends up with the Sword," Yao said, "It will be King Alfred and Ace Matthew after all."

Alfred looked over to see Matthew eyeing the Sword.

"Congratulations, Al," Matthew said, flashing a smile, "You'll be a great King."

"Now to continue with procedures," Arthur said, stepping up to the boys, "Matthew, are you ready?"

"I am, Arthur," Matthew replied, handing the Axe to Arthur, while Alfred stepped back to join Yao and watch the induction of the new Ace. Arthur stood in front of the Timepiece, with the Axe held across both his hands. Matthew knelt onto one knee in front of him and bowed his head.

"According to the laws of the Deck and customs of the Spades kingdom," Arthur began, "I, Queen Arthur of Spades, in the presence of the Spades Timepiece, am charged with accepting the vows of the Ace. Matthew, do you swear loyalty and allegiance to the kingdom of Spades?"

"I swear it," Matthew replied.

"Do you swear to serve and protect the Spades kingdom, and all its citizens, from this moment henceforth until your death?"

"I swear it."

"The Axe of the Ace is the symbol of your position, and it will be your charge to wield it to defend the honour of the Spades kingdom. Do you accept it."

"I accept it."

Arthur lowered the Axe, and Matthew reached out his hands to accept it from Arthur.

"As Queen of Spades, in the presence of the Spades Timepiece, I recognize your vows and accept them."

He removed his hands from the Axe, allowing Matthew to hold it on his own.

"Arise, Ace Matthew of Spades."

Matthew stood up, and bowed his head once more at Arthur.

"Well, that wasn't too bad, was it?" Arthur said cheerfully, patting Matthew's shoulder before leading everyone back to the throne room, "You get the quiet, simple ceremony, then your brother gets the chaos of a large coronation."

"The coronation is going to be great," Alfred said enthusiastically.

"It's going to be quite the show," Yao said, with a bit less enthusiasm, as he held up the tapestry for the others, "The other Suits are asked to attend, and the entire kingdom gets a holiday. Emil ended up in charge of the planning committee, so he's going to have a lot on his plate the next two weeks."

The group made it to the front of the room, and Matthew opened the door wide open. Emil was waiting there with a guard, and a smile formed on his face when he saw them.

"King Alfred and Ace Matthew, is it?" Emil asked, "You owe me 50 silver dollars, Yao."

"I know," Yao groaned, "Good call."

"We have some invitations and proclamations to send out," Arthur said, " Announce the coronation of King Alfred and the induction of Ace Matthew, so that all the Deck may hear."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _I didn't mention it in the previous chapters, but each Royal rank has their own ceremony for pledging their service to the kingdom. As seen here with Matthew, the Ace's induction is done immediately in the presence of the Suit's Timepiece. The Jack's ceremony is done in the courtroom with the notaries present, while the Queen's coronation is a full-on holiday for the kingdom. As you'll see in the next two chapters, the King's coronation is the largest event: a huge ceremony and ball, with the other Deck Royals attending. And yes, I did just say "the other Deck Royals", so be prepared :)_**


	16. Chapter 16

Matthew looked at his reflection in the mirror, admiring his outfit for the coronation. It had the leather, chainmail and silver breastplate of a military uniform, but the nicer cloth and dark blue cape with fur lining added some elegance to it.

"You look fine, Matthew," Arthur assured, "Can I use the mirror now?"

"So you can put on your tiara?" Matthew teased, backing away from the mirror.

"Would you please stop poking fun at that?" Arthur whined as he put on his tiara-like crown, "It's not my fault that the Queen's Crown is more delicate and feminine in design."

Matthew watched as Arthur then straightened out the ruffled bow on his white shirt. The Queen was wearing a light blue vest, black pants, and a dark blue coat.

Matthew looked at his brother, and chuckled at how hard Alfred was trying to get Arthur's attention. He was wearing an almost identical outfit, although with a few differences. Alfred opted for longer coattails, and no ruffles on his shirt. He went with a dark blue vest and light blue jacket.

The door opened, and Yao entered the room. Instead of a nice suit or military armour like the others, he was wearing traditional robes of Far Eastern design, incorporating dark blues and white.

"All the invitees have arrived," Yao reported, "Emil is ready to call us in."

Matthew joined Yao at the table, where he took the scabbard holding the King's Sword and Yao took the red pillow holding the King's Crown. Arthur led the way out, with the others following, and they went to the entrance of the throne room. Emil was waiting outside for them, and came to organize them.

"Okay, showtime," Emil said, fussing around the group. "Arthur, you're front and center, Yao and Matthew in behind to Arthur's left and right. Matthew, hold the Sword up with both hands. Alfred, stay to the side and out of sight until I position you."

"Emil, quit fussing around and let us in!" Arthur ordered, "We're ready to start."

"Oh yes, of course."

Emil went and knocked on the closed door. It immediately opened, and a fanfare blasted in the throne room. As the crowd rose to their feet, Emil stepped a few feet into the room.

"Their Royal Majesties Queen Arthur, Jack Yao, and Ace Matthew of Spades."

Emil went to the side, and Arthur led the way into the room with Yao and Matthew following him.

Matthew tried his best to keep his eyes on the very front of the room, but he felt a bit uneasy as he noticed everyone's eyes on him. Once they reached the thrones, Arthur turned and stood front and center. Yao went to Arthur's right, while Matthew went to Arthur's left.

As Matthew turned to face the front, he noticed the different colours of clothing in the front row on both sides of the aisle.

On his side, there was a group of four people in red clothing. Matthew realized immediately that the tall blond wearing a crown must be King Ludwig of Hearts. There was also a Far Eastern man wearing traditional robes similar to Yao's, and the tiara-like crown could only mean that he would be Queen Kiku. There was also a pair of brothers, with tanned skin and two different shades of brown hair, who must be Jack Feliciano and Ace Lovino in some order. The lighter-haired one was smiling, while the darker-haired one looked grumpy.

Emil stood in the middle of the aisle again, and Matthew snapped his attention back to him.

"Emil, let him in," Arthur ordered.

"Presenting the bearer of the Spade King's Mark," Emil announced, before standing aside. With a fanfare, Alfred entered the room, and strode to the front with confidence.

Hearing a chuckle, Matthew peaked at the front row on the right side of the room, and noticed the very familiar group of Diamond Royals. Ace Antonio was the one chuckling, and Jack Vash quickly swatted at his arm to get him to stop. King Francis had a large smirk on his face, and whispered something in Queen Lilli's ear while looking at Matthew. Lilli then took a quick glance at Matthew, before looking down and blushing. She had gotten taller since Matthew last saw her, and her hair had grown out a bit, although still kept just above her shoulders.

She was beautiful.

Matthew snapped back to attention as Alfred arrived at the front of the room and Arthur stepped forward.

"Your Royal Majesties of the Deck, lords and ladies," Arthur spoke to the crowd, "According to the laws of the Deck and customs of the Spades kingdom, I, Queen Arthur of Spades, am charged with accepting the vows of service and crowning the new King of Spades. Kneel, Alfred."

Alfred knelt on one knee before Arthur.

"Alfred, do you swear loyalty and allegiance to the kingdom of Spades?"

"I swear it."

"Do you swear to serve and protect the Spades kingdom, and all its citizens, from this moment henceforth until your death?"

"I swear it."

Arthur motioned to Yao, who came to Arthur's right. Arthur lifted the King's Crown from the pillow, and held it above Alfred's head.

"The Spade King's Crown represents your judicial power over the kingdom, and it will be your charge to judge and decide for the greater good of the citizens of Spades. Do you accept it?"

"I accept it."

Arthur lowered the Crown onto Alfred's head. Once it was in place, Arthur removed his hands. As Yao moved back to his spot, Matthew stepped forward with the scabbard, holding the hilt of the King's Sword towards Arthur. The Queen gently withdrew the Sword from the scabbard, and held the blade with both hands in front of Alfred.

"The Sword of the King is the symbol of your position, and it will be your charge to wield it to defend the honour of the Spades kingdom. Do you accept it?"

"I accept it."

Arthur lowered the Sword, and Alfred reached out his hands to accept it from Arthur.

"As Queen of Spades, in the presence of these witnesses, I recognize your vows and accept them."

He removed his hands from the Sword, allowing Alfred to hold it on his own.

"Arise, King Alfred of Spades."

Alfred rose from his knees, allowing his right hand to hold the hilt of the Sword on its own, before turning to the crowd.

"All hail King Alfred of Spades!" Arthur proclaimed.

"All hail the King! All hail the King! All hail the King!" The crowd cheered, before applauding the new King.

Suddenly, the doors at the back of the room slammed open, and everyone stopped their applauding to see what was going on.

King Ivan was marching into the room, and a brown-haired woman in an ornate dark green ballgown was on his left arm. Behind them were Ace Natalya and a dark-haired man in a green suit and long coat.

"Shit," Matthew muttered, frowning at the uninvited guests. He recognized that the other woman could only be Queen Elizaveta, and the man was Jack Roderich.

"Keep quiet," Arthur told the Spade Royals quietly as the Clubs Royalty reached the front of the room, "I'll handle them."

"What a lovely ceremony, your Majesties," Elizaveta said, "I was rather alarmed when Clubs never received our invitation."

"I meant no personal insult to yourself, Queen Elizaveta," Arthur explained, "But given what happened when the Clubs Royalty was last here in Spades, I believed it to be in our best interest to avoid a conflict at this coronation."

"The lack of an invite is more than enough insult," Elizaveta retorted, before closely looking at Matthew, "Ivan, darling, is that one the stable boy?"

"Yes it is," Ivan said, "although when I saw him last, he was acting as if he was the new King of Spades. What exactly happened with that, Matthew?"

"The deaths of King Berwald and Ace Mikkel were close enough together that King Alfred and Ace Matthew received their Marks about the same time," Arthur explained, allowing Matthew to continue scowling silently at the Clubs King.

"That's almost perfect, then," Ivan taunted, "The pretentious Ace and the idiot King. Best watch your back, Alfred, even brothers can betray each other over power."

"Mattie would never do that to me!" Alfred snapped back at Ivan.

"Oh please," Natalya sneered, "He probably allowed you to fight me that night so that he wouldn't have to show how weak he actually is."

"Matthew is actually one of the most skilled fighters the Spades military has ever trained," Yao countered.

Natalya suddenly glared at Matthew, with a smirk forming on her face as she reached behind her.

"If he's that good, let's see it."

Just as Natalya pulled out a dagger, Matthew felt someone hug him from behind. Before he could even blink, he was somehow standing in front of King Francis, a few feet to the right of the thrones. Hearing a loud gasp from the crowd, Matthew looked over to where he had just been standing.

Natalya's dagger had flown through his spot, and was now stuck in the wall.

"GILBERT!"

While Natalya was screeching and staring in his direction, Matthew suddenly felt that hug disappear. He turned and saw a man dressed in black standing beside him, with white hair and deep red eyes.

"Laws of the Deck, Natalya," the white-haired man ordered, "Visiting Aces are not allowed to kill any Royals hosting a coronation."

"Screw the laws, let me -"

Before Natalya could finish yelling, Matthew saw a child in black suddenly appear beside Natalya and hug her waist, before they both disappeared.

"What the hell?" Alfred shrieked, "Where did she go?"

"Peter returned her to Clubs, your Majesty," the white-haired man replied.

"They don't know who you are, Gilbert," Yao pointed out.

"Ah yeah, how unawesome of me," the white-haired man said, before bowing to Matthew and the other Spades, "I am Gilbert, one of the Deck's Jokers. The one who just re-appeared over there is the other Joker, Peter."

"Hi there!"

Matthew looked over to the voice, and the child in black was suddenly standing by the Clubs Royals again. The blond boy quickly grabbed the hands of Elizaveta and Roderich, and disappeared with them.

"Must you really ruin our fun like this, Gilbert?" Ivan whined, now being the only Club left.

"Last time an Ace attacked the hosting Royalty at a coronation, it started one of the bloodiest wars in all of Deck history," Gilbert replied, "I'm not taking any chances."

Peter suddenly re-appeared beside Ivan, grabbing the King's scarf and making them both disappear.

"How exactly are you doing that?" Arthur asked.

"As guardians and peacekeepers of the Deck, one of our powers is teleportation," Gilbert replied, "We can go wherever we need to, and even carry people with us just by touching them."

"Is that what you did to me?" Matthew asked.

"Yep, Natalya's aim is too good for anyone to dodge," Peter answered, having suddenly re-appeared beside Gilbert, "And as Gilbert should have said first, we protect the Deck and help keep the Royals in line. We serve everybody, anybody, and nobody, all at the same time."

"Well, thank you for your help," Matthew said, giving them a bow of the head.

"Ooh, this one is humble, I like that!" Gilbert commented, giving Matthew's hair a quick toss, "Now, I believe we should be kicking off some awesome coronation festivities, right?"

"We should," Arthur agreed, reaching his arm out for Alfred to take, "Lead the way, your Majesty."

"As you wish, my Queen," Alfred replied, accepting Arthur's arm and leading him down the aisle to the sound of a large applause. Matthew quickly shuffled back over to Yao's left, and they followed their King and Queen out of the throne room.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _And there's the standard '16 Royals and 2 Jokers in the same room' scene that all Cardverse fics seem to have at least once._**

 ** _I was aiming for a Maleficent feel with Elizaveta, as all the Suits are usually required to attend each other's King coronations. Of course, with the ceremony nearly breaking down into a fight, it was the perfect opportunity to introduce our Jokers._**

 ** _I hope at least some of you have seen the Lord Of The Rings movies, because Matthew's outfit is supposed to look like what Faramir wore to Aragorn's coronation. Everyone else's outfits are based on the canon designs, although Lilli is meant to be a bit older and look like a young elegant woman instead of a child._**


	17. Chapter 17

If there was anything Francis enjoyed about being a King, it was the lavish parties, and Spades had certainly gone all-out for King Alfred's coronation ball. Everyone was dressed in elegant gowns and suits, the food was lavish, and the champagne was plentiful. At this point, the only thing missing was the Clubs Royalty. They wouldn't be coming though, not after the Jokers kicked them out at the end of the ceremony. Quite the pity, as Francis was on good terms with all four of them. Elizaveta would often be his partner in crime, helping arrange dances between other Royals who fancied each other.

One of their bigger projects lately has been involving his own Diamond Queen. Sweet Lilli was now 18 years old, and she had grown into a beautiful woman. Of course, this only made Vash even more protective of her, so anyone interested in her had to find a way past. Francis has tried keeping Vash busy so that Ludwig can have a chance alone with Lilli, while Elizaveta will distract Vash to allow that moment for Ivan. However, whenever their plans did manage to keep Vash away, Lilli always seemed to disappear, and they just recently figured out that Antonio may be Lilli's accomplice.

Francis sipped on his champagne and looked over at where his Queen and Ace were dancing. He knew that Antonio had been fond of Lilli since her arrival when Vash became the Jack. Following Jeanne's death, Antonio suddenly became very protective of her, willing to do anything for his Queen. Francis knew the age difference was too large for anything to happen romantically, so Antonio was a knight in shining armour protecting his Queen in the literal sense instead of the figurative.

"Francis, there you are!"

Francis spun around to see the bubbly Jack of Hearts dragging his brother over to him.

"Feliciano, Lovino, my dear friends," Francis greeted, "I see you are enjoying yourselves, how wonderful!"

"Put a sock in it, you bastard," Lovino whined, immediately scowling and crossing his arms as soon as Feliciano went to hug Francis.

"Lovino, must you always be so harsh?" Francis sweet-talked as he hugged Feliciano back, "I only share words of love, not hatred, with my fellow Royals. You should try to take after your brother, such a sweet thing he is."

'Stop comparing me to this hyperactive idiot," Lovino complained, before noticing what was going on, "And let go of him! I thought I told you last time, keep your creepy hands off my brother!"

"But Lovino, Feli here is just so cuddly!" Francis whined, not letting go of Feliciano.

"Francis, let go of my brother, or I'll get Ludwig to use the Code again," Lovino threatened, with his scowl turning into an evil smirk.

"Alright, I give," Francis relented, letting go of Feliciano, "You don't have to chase me out of the kingdom again."

"I remember that, it was hilariously awesome," Gilbert interrupted, joining the group with Alfred and Peter in tow.

"Lovino chased Francis out of Hearts? How did that happen?" Alfred asked curiously.

"It was when Diamonds was visiting Hearts," Peter explained, "Franny was hitting on Feli pretty hard, when Ludwig and Lovi walked in on them. Lovino wanted Franny's head on a silver platter, and Ludwig used the Code of Aces to allow the attempt."

"Probably one of the few times Ludwig and I agreed on anything," Lovino grumbled, before walking away.

"Lovi, where are you going?" Feliciano asked.

"This group is getting too rowdy, I'm joining the other one," Lovino replied.

Francis watched as Lovi walked to the other end of the room. Queen Kiku had set himself up happily at a table there, and was talking with Queen Arthur and Jack Yao. King Ludwig and Vash were to the side talking with Ace Matthew, and Lovino was joining them.

"There's probably some gossip over there," Peter observed, "Is it worth checking out?"

"You can if you like," Gilbert said, "That group is too well-behaved to let anything interesting slip, though."

Peter quickly teleported to the other end of the room, and started trying to eavesdrop.

"He says that Luddy, Vash and Matthew are talking about border patrols," Gilbert quickly informed the others, "Yao, Kiku and Arthur are talking economics and trade. How unawesome."

"Wait, how do you know this?" Alfred asked.

"The Jokers can speak telepathically," Francis explained to the new King, "They can send each other messages just by thinking them. Other Royals can talk to the Jokers that way as well, if they need help with something. Although it's meant for maintaining the peace of the Deck, it serves well for sharing gossip and blackmail."

A loud laugh suddenly echoed from where Arthur was sitting with Yao and Kiku.

"Sure seems like Artie's enjoying himself," Alfred mused, and Francis noticed the slight pessimism in the tone.

"Peter says that Arthur might have already had too much to drink," Gilbert reported.

The group watched as Arthur pulled Matthew over to speak to him. Ludwig and Vash took the moment to walk away, while Lovino went closer to hear what was being said.

"Peter says that Arthur is begging Matthew to dance with him."

"What? Why Matthew?" Alfred fumed.

"Is there something going on there, Alfred?" Francis queried.

Matthew pulled away from Arthur, and spoke to Peter for a moment, pointing over at Francis and his group. Peter flashed a smile before grabbing Matthew's sleeve. Within a blink of an eye, they had teleported and were standing directly in front of Alfred.

"Alfred, Arthur is a handsy drunk," Matthew said, "You need to go ask him to dance right now."

"What?" Alfred gasped, and Francis noticed the heavy blush taking over the King's face.

"Go, now." Matthew ordered, pushing his brother into Peter's grasp. The group watched as Peter and Alfred suddenly appeared at the other end of the room, with Arthur turning to look at them in surprise.

"Keep watching, this should be good." Matthew told the others, watching Alfred talk to Arthur.

"Care to explain what this is about?" Antonio asked, joining the group with Lilli.

"Alfred's been head over heels for Arthur ever since they first met." Matthew explained to the others.

"Does Arthur like him back?" Francis asked.

"Arthur is in denial about it, but there's signs that he does." Matthew confirmed.

They kept watching as Alfred offered his hand to Arthur, who rose hesitantly from his seat while looking at the hand. After a moment, Yao gave Arthur's back a push, sending the Queen into the King's grasp, and Alfred immediately whisked him onto the dance floor. As Francis' group laughed, Yao looked over at them, and rolled his eyes when Matthew saluted him with a raised glass of champagne.

"Yao is a fantastic wingman," Matthew said with a chuckle, before taking a sip of his champagne.

"You are quite the schemer yourself," Gilbert complimented, "Perhaps I should visit Spades more often."

"I've been meaning to ask about that," Matthew said, "Berwald had us hidden from Royal visitors for all those years, but you weren't ever one of them. Why is that?"

"Well, the Jokers aren't needed that often, so we often just visit whoever we want to at any time," Gilbert explained, "Mikkel was awesome, but Berwald and his group managed Spades well enough to not need constant visits from myself and Peter."

"He'll often visit more for getting into trouble than for getting out of it," Ludwig said as he and Vash joined the group.

"Gil and Luddy are cousins, so we get a lot of visits," Feliciano explained.

"Cousins?" Matthew asked, looking between the two of them, "I never would have guessed."

"He also comes to Diamonds a lot to cause mayhem with Francis and Antonio," Vash added on.

The group was interrupted by applause for the orchestra as a song ended. After a moment, a new song began, and Matthew turned to Lilli.

"Queen Lilli, may I ask you for a dance?"

The group froze in their spots, and Francis raised an eyebrow. He looked over at Vash, who was glaring at Matthew with all his fury.

"I'd love to, Ace Matthew," Lilli replied, "but my brother might not let you."

"So I see," Matthew said, observing the fuming Jack.

"Vash, let them dance together," Antonio pleaded on their behalf, "I'm certain that Matthew would not try anything."

"If I do anything you don't approve of," Matthew suggested, "you have my permission to throw me off a balcony."

Vash glared at Matthew another moment, before giving a huff and rolling his eyes.

"Okay, you can dance with her," Vash agreed, "But I'll be watching you."

"Thank you, Jack Vash," Matthew said, giving a quick bow before offering his hand to Lilli. As the pair went to the dance floor, Vash moved away from the group to watch the pair from the sidelines like a hawk. Francis noticed that the rest of the group had frozen in shock.

"What the hell was that?" Gilbert finally asked after a few seconds had past.

"Ace Matthew is a polite young gentleman," Francis said, "He has earned Vash's respect."

"But that's the first time Vash has allowed her to dance with a Royal from another Suit!" Feliciano exclaimed.

"So it is," Antonio said, watching the dancing pair, "What sweet roses they make, don't you think?"

"Even the others want to know what happened," Gilbert said, motioning to where Peter was sitting with Kiku, Lovino and Yao, "I'm heading over there, anyone want to come?"

"I'll come," Feliciano and Antonio said at the same time. Gilbert grabbed their shoulders, and they teleported over, leaving Francis alone with Ludwig.

"So, I can try for years to get a dance with Lilli, and yet Vash approves of Matthew on his first try," Ludwig said, "How exactly did Matthew earn enough respect to manage that?"

"It happened on one of our previous visits to Spades. Matthew protected Lilli when the assassins attacked our meeting."

"The one where they killed Queen Jeanne and Jack Lukas? I'm sorry for bringing that up."

"It's quite alright. As I saying, Matthew was protecting Lilli, while Alfred helped Antonio and Mikkel fight the assassins. Antonio and Lilli had met the twins earlier, and Matthew had bested him in a duel."

"Matthew told me their story. About how Tino adopted the twins 12 years ago, and gave them training and education worthy of royalty. I think it seems too well-planned to be a coincidence. Were you aware if anyone knew they would be future Royals?"

"We first met the twins on that visit three years ago, but we never knew they would be Royals. If Tino and the other Spades Royals did know, they have already taken it to the grave. If questioned about it, I doubt Emil would reveal any secrets, nor would Arthur or Yao. Why the concern, Ludwig?"

"Do you remember at the end of the ceremony today, when the Clubs Royals walked in and Arthur mentioned their previous visit? The Clubs Royals were here the same night that Berwald and Mikkel were killed, and reports say that Ivan and Natalya were responsible. Not only were Alfred and Matthew heavily involved in protecting Arthur and Yao, but Alfred and Natalya fought each other, while Matthew threatened to kill Ivan."

"So the new Spades Royals already had bad blood with Clubs before today. Do you think this could be trouble for the Deck?"

"Very easily. I'll try to keep Hearts out of the crossfire, Francis. I advise you do the same for Diamonds."

As Ludwig slipped away, Francis processed the warning. He already knew that the Clubs Royals were power-hungry, and that Ivan was the most dangerous King in the Deck. Francis had intentionally made compromises in his negotiations with Ivan over the years to avoid war, and was certain that Ludwig and Berwald had done the same. Now that Alfred was a King, Ludwig was right to be concerned. If the boys did know of their Marks ahead of time, their training and education certainly did prepare them, but they may have a sense of entitlement to power. Adding on that they are already on bad terms with Ivan, the twins could cause trouble.

Spotting his Ace across the room, Francis left his spot to go talk to him. Antonio would definitely want to hear about this.


	18. Chapter 18

Alfred's twin must be both the most evil schemer and the best wingman in the Deck at the same time. Matthew's idea of having Peter teleport Alfred to Arthur's side was incredibly mean, but it also paid off once Arthur agreed to dance with him.

Well, at least Alfred thought Arthur agreed. He was sure he saw Yao give Arthur's back a push, but Arthur seemed tipsy enough to think he accepted the dance instead of being pushed into it. Perhaps Yao might be a better wingman than Matthew, if that's the case.

However it happened, Alfred was now dancing with Arthur, and felt like he was in heaven. Arthur fit perfectly in his arms, and it was as if there wasn't anyone else on the dancefloor. Of course, it would help if Arthur didn't keep tripping over his feet.

"Geez, Artie," Alfred said, "How much did you drink?"

"Enough to actually agree to dance with you, I guess," Arthur mumbled.

"Matthew said you were getting a little handsy. It seemed you wanted to dance with him instead of me."

"You two have very similar charm. When I'm drunk, he looks like you."

"So, when you're talking with him, do you imagine it's me?"

"Occasionally, yes. At least one of you needs to have a brain, after all. Matthew's the smart one."

"Ooh, how mean. You wound me, Arthur."

"Quit complaining, you sod. You drive me crazy, in more ways than one."

"In more ways than one? Care to describe the ways I drive you crazy?"

"You're handsome, kind, intelligent, patient, and the most annoying git I've ever had the displeasure of being unable to stop thinking about."

Alfred stopped dancing and looked at Arthur in the eyes.

"Was that a confession?" Alfred asked, "Did you just admit you like me?"

Arthur looked away briefly, before turning back and blushing heavily. As they were looking into each other's eyes, Alfred noticed that Arthur's face was coming closer and closer to his, and his heartbeat sped up when he realized what Arthur might be trying to do.

When Arthur's quivering lips were only a couple inches away when Alfred smelled the champagne on his breath. As tempting as it was to complete the kiss, Alfred knew that Arthur would freak out at him when he sobered up. So, Alfred tilted his head and pecked Arthur's forehead instead, before continuing their dance.

"What the hell?" Arthur suddenly snapped, glaring at Alfred, "Why won't you kiss me?"

"You're drunk, Arthur," Alfred cautioned, "I'd rather you kiss me willingly when you've sobered up than go too far while you're drunk and kill me after."

"Well, see if I ever try that again," Arthur retorted, pushing himself out of Alfred's arms and storming off, leaving Alfred alone on the dance floor.

"Al, are you okay?" Matthew asked as he danced by with Lilli.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Alfred assured his brother, flashing a big smile before leaving the dance floor.

Although Arthur walked off, they had definitely made some progress.

* * *

Although they may not have been the same kind of maple tree that had grown in abundance at the Hearts castle, Kiku loved the large leaves of these trees in Spades. Whenever he would visit Spades, if the weather permitted, he would find a moment to sit at a particular bench at the base of a large maple and meditate. The hot summer day had fully faded away, the ball had wrapped up, and a cool breeze freshened the midnight air as Kiku looked at the stars.

To think, he had visited this castle multiple times during his reign as Queen of Hearts, and yet he had never seen those two blond boys running around.

Kiku found Yao's story about them to be quite fascinating. A pair of twin boys, adopted by Queen Tino when their parents died, were raised in the Spades castle with a education worthy of royalty, without anyone else knowing about them. As if that wasn't enough, one of them turns out to be a King, while the other becomes an Ace.

Ludwig's own report from King Francis only added to the enigma. Somehow the Diamonds Royalty had met them the same day that Queen Jeanne and Jack Lukas were killed. Matthew, in particular, had defeated Antonio in a duel before protecting Lilli during the assassin attack and earning Vash's respect.

Somehow, it was enough respect for Vash to allow Matthew to dance with Lilli all evening.

Although Kiku had withdrawn himself from the playing field of romance after he lost Heracles and Sadiq five years ago, he remained a spectator to the game. He would often give advice to Elizaveta and Francis, and Jeanne also pitched ideas when she was still alive. In all that time, the only way Lilli was able to dance with anyone was if Vash was distracted the entire time. Everyone had tried countless times. Ivan, Ludwig, Feliciano, Lovino, Roderich, Mikkel and Berwald had all tried getting a single dance with the sweet girl, and yet Matthew got Vash's approval on the first attempt.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the grass behind him, and a figure halted by the side of his bench.

"Forgive my intrusion, your Majesty," Antonio said, giving a small bow, "I was hoping to speak with you. May I join you?"

"You may," Kiku accepted, moving over on the bench to allow space for Antonio.

"Thank you," Antonio said as he sat down, "I was hoping you could help me with some research. If I may ask, have you ever heard about a prophecy known as the Absorbing?"

Kiku chuckled. That was something he hadn't thought about in a long time.

"Yes, I've heard about the Absorbing. And I am also well aware of how your family is connected to it."

"Oh really? How so?"

"A few generations ago, when the Honda family first opened the doors of their monastery to outsiders, the Carriedo family came and exchanged stories. A Carriedo spoke of the Absorbing, and of how a descendant of the Matron Queen would be the Diamond King when the Absorbing began."

"Well, as a Carriedo, I felt it was my responsibility to research the Absorbing, as means of preparing whoever eventually becomes the foretold King. The only known details about the Absorbing are in the Ledgers of the Suit Queens that assembled it. I've already found everything the Diamond Ledgers has, but I still don't have enough information."

"And so you need to know what the Queen Ledgers of the other Suits have to say about it."

"Exactly."

"Who else knows of your research?"

"Jeanne helped me when she was alive, and Francis knows of it as well. So did Lars when he was Jack. You are now the fourth to know."

"Why is it that I now know of this research, but your current Queen and Jack don't?"

"Francis and I have kept quiet over the topic, and we haven't had a need to tell Lilli and Vash about it. You now know because I need your assistance."

"Why me, specifically?"

"Well, to be completely honest, you seemed the safer option of the three available Queens. Elizaveta would start investigating the Absorbing for the benefit of Clubs alone if I asked her, and Arthur would not appreciate the explanation of my timing."

"Why is timing a concern?"

"I hate to admit it, since Matthew and Alfred are wonderful boys, and I get along with them very well. However, the fact that the Spades Royals had been training their replacements all those years seems too good to be a coincidence."

"You think Berwald and the others knew that those twins would be Royals."

"Somehow, yes. I know it shouldn't be possible, but all the signs point to them knowing ahead of time. If you add in how the twins quickly became enemies with the power-hungry Club Royals, there is something big on the horizon. If this somehow becomes linked to the Absorbing, any preparation would be helpful."

Kiku took a moment to think about the issues Antonio brought forward. Yao's story about Tino and Berwald raising two future Royals did add the suspicion that they somehow knew of their Marks, and Ludwig feared the twins may feel entitled to their power. Their rivalry with Clubs could certainly spark a war. If the Absorbing were to begin, it would certainly add more chaos to the mix. Even if he couldn't share any information with Antonio, it would be worthwhile for the Hearts Royalty to research the Absorbing.

"I understand your concerns, Antonio, this is certainly worth investigating. Which Heart Queen would have written the needed Ledgers?"

"Valencia was the Queen of Hearts when the prophecy was assembled. Whatever you can tell me about the Absorbing from her Ledgers would be greatly appreciated."

"That sounds simple enough, but I will have to see how sensitive the information ends up being. Surely you will understand if I choose not to reveal what the Ledgers say."

"Yes, of course. I will leave you to your thoughts. Thank you for your help, Kiku."

As Antonio stood up and walked away, Kiku repeated the conversation in his head. Whichever way he spun the interpretation, Antonio was definitely hiding something. If they had indeed reached the beginning of the Absorbing, then Kiku could only conclude that at least one member of the Carriedo family was shrouded in lies.

Perhaps Queen Valencia's Ledgers would help Kiku make sense of it all.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _At first, I was going to have the USUK scene in the previous chapter, then gave it up in favour of a Francis POV. However, drafting ahead 10 chapters, I realized I needed to show the gradual USUK development instead of a sudden jump out of nowhere, so it came back in._**

 ** _Also, the Absorbing gets some press here, and we're starting to weave the threads. A couple seeds have already been planted earlier on, but now we're really getting into it. I would love to see in the reviews if anyone is catching on to anything that may be relevant later._**

 ** _Remember back in the Chapter 10 notes, where I said I was writing this in multiple Docs with major story arcs starting with each one? Well, this is the end of Part 2, which can only mean that we're about to get even more intense. If you haven't yet, I suggest following now if you want to keep track of how juicy this is about to get._**

 ** _Sorry for the long note, but I am getting so excited for this :)_**


	19. Chapter 19

Even though everyone seemed to continuously compare her to spring flowers, Queen Lilli loved the autumn. The changing leaves just added even more beauty to the land, and the warm colours of late September just added to the splendour of the Diamonds castle. She gazed out of her study window at the gardens, where the change of seasons had begun. A flutter of wind shook one of the nearby trees, and the yellow leaves swayed in the wind.

Matthew's hair would probably flutter in the wind like those leaves do.

Lilli blushed as she tried to control her thoughts. Vash had drilled into her mind that relationships with Royals of other Decks should be avoided at all costs, as they would only cause chaos and heartbreak. However, Matthew was incredibly sweet, and Lilli wagered it would take the extremes of a terrible war for him to turn sour on her.

Someone's footsteps entered the room, and Lilli shook the thoughts out of her head before turning to look.

"A report from Queen Kiku of Hearts, your Majesty," The servant said, placing a large scroll on the desk.

"Thank you," Lilli replied, and the servant bowed before leaving the room.

Once alone, Lilli left the window and sat at her desk. Seeing that reading the report was now her top priority, Lilli grabbed it and opened the seal. Having unravelled it, she started reading through the details of the report. After a few minutes and a few pages, she turned to the chart on the next page, and that's when she saw it.

Tucked into the report, there was a small folded note, addressed to Antonio.

Lilli picked it up and stared at it in confusion. Why would Kiku leave a note for Antonio in this report for her? It was common for Royals to directly communicate with each other like raven, so Kiku could have just as easily sent Antonio a normal letter to convey a message. So why would the note be sent this way instead? Also, if it were meant to be sent as discreetly as possible, why would it be sent in a report for another Royal?

Lilli flipped it over, and noticed that it hadn't been sealed. If it were meant to be discreet, why wouldn't Kiku seal it? Perhaps he trusted that Lilli wouldn't read it.

Or maybe he wanted her to read it.

As gently as possible, so as to be able to refold it afterwards, Lilli opened the note and read it.

 _Antonio,_

 _I have looked through the Ledgers of Queen Valencia as you requested, and I am afraid I cannot answer your query. The information is of such a nature that I cannot trust a Royal of another Suit to not use it against Hearts. If you wish to know what I found, you will have to tell me how Diamonds will fit into the Absorbing._

 _Kiku_

Lilli reread it, and found herself asking many questions. Why would Antonio ask for information from the Ledgers of Heart Queens? What could Kiku find suspicious about Antonio's request?

What is the Absorbing?

Deciding that she wanted answers, Lilli stood up and took the note out of the room. She refolded it as she strolled through the castle hallway down a few doors, before standing in front of a door and knocking.

"Come in," a voice answered from inside.

Lilli opened the door and walked into the Ace's study. Antonio was walking around his desk, reading a piece of paper he was holding. Lilli walked up to his desk, and cleared her throat, getting Antonio's attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lilli," Antonio apologized, dropping the paper onto the desk, "An interesting notice from the merchants guild. What can I help you with?"

"If that letter was so interesting," Lilli said, pulling out the refolded note and handing it out to him, "perhaps you might explain this note I found in my report from Queen Kiku."

Antonio took it and looked at it, as Lilli sat down in the chair in front of the desk. Without even opening it, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Did you read it?"

"If it were meant to be kept secret, Queen Kiku would have at least put a seal on it, or sent it by raven, rather than just slipping it into my report."

Antonio chuckled, before opening the note and reading it. As he read, Lilli noticed the smile drop from his face, before he banged his fist against the desk, and crumbled the note in his other hand.

"Now that you're done reading," Lilli interrogated, "would you mind telling me what the Absorbing is, and why you would need information from the Heart Queen Ledgers?"

Antonio gave a small smile of defeat, before walking over to the books on the shelf.

"I suppose it's about time you knew about it," he explained, "The Absorbing is a prophecy involving the end of the Four Suits of the Deck. My family has been researching it for years, but the only detailed information is in the Queen Ledgers of each Suit."

Antonio moved a book aside on a shelf, before reaching past to pull out three hidden books. He brought these hidden books over to the desk, and Lilli noticed they had a familiar logo on the front: a Diamond with an engraved Q.

"These are Diamond Queen Ledgers," Lilli observed, "They're supposed to be in my study with the others. Why do you have them?"

"Queen Jeanne lent me these ones for research before her death," Antonio explained, "They were written by Queen Juliana of Diamonds, one of the four Queens who assembled the prophecy. I've studied everything she wrote about it, but I still have too many questions about what exactly the Absorbing is and how it works."

"Is that why you asked Queen Kiku for help?" Lili asked.

"You catch on very quickly," Antonio replied, "Queen Valencia would have represented Hearts when the prophecy was assembled, so I asked Kiku if he could look through her Ledgers and see what he could find."

"Well, he must have found something very important if he can't trust sharing it with you then," Lilli assumed, "Would this information possibly put Hearts against Diamonds? Or could it be a sign that the Absorbing is nearer than we think?"

Antonio looked at her with worry. However, before he could say anything, a loud fanfare sounded out from the front of the castle.

"A Royal fanfare?" Antonio questioned as they heard the familiar tune, "We weren't expecting any visitors, were we?"

"No, we weren't," Lilli replied, "The next scheduled meeting of Suits is our trip to Hearts in two weeks time."

"Well, let's go see what's happening," Antonio suggested, walking out from behind his desk and leading Lilli to the door. They went into the hallway, and went all the way to the top of the grand staircase in the foyer. They paused when they reached the balcony at the top, and looked down to see a group dressed in green.

"Clubs?" Antonio asked, "I thought they weren't supposed to meet with us for another two months yet."

Lilli nodded her head, watching as Vash finished descending the stairs to meet the four Club Royals. She could vaguely hear Vash greeting the others, and asking why they were there. The other Clubs looked over as Roderich stepped forward to speak to Vash. Roderich held a scroll in his left hand, and his right hand was against his back. As he spoke to Vash, Lilli watched as Natalya came behind Roderich, and placed something shiny in the hidden hand.

"Vash, look out!" Antonio suddenly shouted in alarm, while Vash's hand was stretched out to take the scroll.

Before Vash could react, Roderich dropped the scroll and grabbed Vash's wrist, pulling him forward. He brought his right hand out front, and Lili could finally see what Natalya had given Roderich.

A dagger.

A dagger that was swiftly buried into her brother's chest.

"VASH, NO!"


	20. Chapter 20

_"VASH, NO!"_

Antonio couldn't believe what he had just seen, but Lilli's shriek of horror from seeing her brother stabbed certainly confirmed it.

He immediately jumped onto the balcony rail, holding onto the pillar he had been standing by, and pointed at the Club Royals so that the guards on the lower floor could see.

"Guards, get in there!" Antonio commanded, "Restrain the Club Royals, and get Jack Vash to safety!"

The guards moved forward as quickly as they could, but Elizaveta cast spells large enough to knock them all away in waves. Ivan summoned the Club Sword, and started killing any guards who got past Elizaveta's magic.

That's when Antonio noticed it.

Roderich was still holding Vash, his right hand holding the dagger in place, and his left hand holding Vash's wrist. There was a glow of magic surrounding where Roderich was holding Vash's wrist. Antonio knew it, and Gilbert once confirmed it: the only magic Roderich should be able to wield is through the Club Jack's Bow.

Antonio's observation was interrupted by Ivan's booming voice.

"Natalya, kill their Ace, and capture the Queen!"

As Natalya started bolting up the stairs, Antonio knew that he had only one choice of action.

"Lilli, we need to run, now!"

He jumped down from the railing and grabbed Lilli's hand, and they ran along the balcony as quickly as they could. As they passed the top of the stairs, Natalya was halfway up, and they narrowly dodged the dagger she threw at them. They rushed down the hallways, trying to make as much ground as they could away from Natalya's flying daggers.

"Into the King's study, Lilli," Antonio ordered as they approached the end of the hallway. Lilli got to the door first, pushing it open and rushing in. Antonio slipped in and shut the door just in time for one of Natalya's daggers to get lodged in the wood. He grabbed the bar and brought it down across the door, blocking entry into the room.

"Antonio, Lilli, what is this all about?" Francis asked, coming around from his desk as they were catching their breaths, "What's happening out there? Who is here?"

"It's Clubs," Lilli explained, "Roderich just killed Vash, and Natalya is after us."

"Elizaveta and Ivan are killing the guards, and Roderich used magic," Antonio added on, "We need to get out of here now."

"Sounds like a Code Juliana," Francis suggested, walking over to the bookshelf.

"Yes, it might be," Antonio confirmed.

"What is a Code Juliana?" Lilli asked, looking back and forth at the two men.

A large bang sounded against the door, and they realized that Natalya was trying to break through. Francis pulled a book forward, before pulling on the shelf it was on. The bookshelf moved forward, revealing a hidden passage.

"Go, get out of here," Francis ordered, holding it open for Lilli to slide through, "Ride to Spades, tell them what has happened."

Once Antonio had also gone through, Francis started pushing the bookshelf back without having gone through himself.

"Francis, what are you doing?" Antonio asked, "Come on through, we can close it from this side."

"No, you go on ahead," Francis insisted, "If this is indeed a Code Juliana, then let me fulfill my duty to you."

"I won't let you do this!"

"Please, Antonio, just go. You need to protect Lilli."

Antonio huffed in defeat.

"Fine. You better get out of this alive, Francis."

"I will send a raven to Spades to tell you I survived. If it's not there by noon tomorrow, summon the Jokers to find out my fate."

Once that had been said, Francis pushed the bookshelf the rest of the way back, leaving Antonio and Lilli in the hidden passage.

"Why isn't he coming?" Lilli asked in alarm.

"He's buying us time to escape. I'll explain later, come along," Antonio said, leading Lilli down the hidden passage. They hit a small winding stairwell, went down it, and found a small door at the bottom. Antonio kicked it open and climbed through, pulling Lilli through it afterward.

"This passage led to the stables?" Lilli asked, noticing they were in one of the horse stalls.

"Yes, and looks like Pierre was left for us," Antonio confirmed, quickly going over to Francis's favourite stallion and opening the gate, "Open the stable doors, Lilli, we'll ride out as quickly as we can."

As Lilli rushed to the doors, Antonio quickly put a saddle onto Pierre's back and led him out of the stall.

"It's chaotic out there," Lilli informed Antonio as she ran back to him, "All the servants and notaries are running amuck."

Antonio quickly lifted Lilli onto Pierre so she could ride side-saddle, before hopping on behind her. With Lilli looped in his arms, Antonio grabbed the reins and spurred the horse into a gallop. They rode through the castle grounds as quickly as they could towards the gate.

"Roderich just saw us," Lilli said as they came around the front of the castle, "He's on the second floor balcony."

"He's going to shoot arrows at us, isn't he?" Antonio asked as they rode across the moat and into the adjacent fields.

"Yes, he's about to fire," Lilli said, stretching her arms around Antonio and putting her chin by his shoulder to see behind, "I'll keep him from hitting us, you lead Pierre into the forest as quickly as you can."

As Antonio focused on the riding, he noticed several glows of orange magic in his peripheral vision. As he turned in the route at one point, he saw that Lilli was casting shields of magic, keeping Roderich's magically enhanced arrows from hitting them. Lilli managed to block one more arrow before she relaxed into Antonio's grip as they entered the tree line.

"Good work, Lilli," Antonio said, "Just keep holding on to me and rest up. I'll get us to Spades, even if we have to ride through the night."

* * *

Arthur stood on the balcony overlooking the entrance to the Spades castle, a cup of tea in his hand. He had slept miserably, and even went to the King's quarters to see if cuddling with Alfred would ease his mind. He eventually gave up on his sleep, and was now watching the sun rise.

Arthur's relationship with Alfred had taken several steps over the summer. Once Arthur was able to admit his feelings while sober, it suddenly became easier to tolerate Alfred's presence. Arthur found that it even helped relieve the pressures of being a Queen, as the idiot was there every sunset to help him unwind, whether with cuddling or heavier petting.

Although the Royal pressures had been relieved, it suddenly allowed space for another problem. Over the past week, Arthur had started having strange dreams, and they were only getting worse. His dreams the past night had been the most disturbing yet, leaving him very unsettled.

His thoughts were shortly interrupted by footsteps, so he turned and saw the King approaching.

"My bed was empty," Alfred complained, stretching and yawning, "I could've sworn you came to my room and tried to cuddle with me last night."

"As nice as it is to cuddle with you, love, it didn't help," Arthur replied, "Strange dreams kept waking me up."

"I wasn't able to chase away your nightmares this time?" Alfred asked, wrapping his arms around Arthur and giving a small kiss to the back of his neck, "What could've haunted you so badly?"

"They were filled with death, blood and burnt skin," Arthur recounted, "It felt as though something terrible is about to happen."

"That's not good, hopefully we can keep it under control," Alfred said.

They both remained quiet, watching as the skies filled with rich pinks, oranges and reds before the sun joined it.

"A red sun rises," Alfred muttered.

"Let's just hope it doesn't mean that blood has already been spilled," Arthur added on.

Before turning away to head back inside, Arthur noticed a horse entering the castle grounds, with a rider dressed in orange. As they got closer, he noticed the horse was carrying two people.

"Arthur, that's Lilli and Antonio," Alfred observed, "What are they doing here, and without Francis or Vash?"

"I'm not sure," Arthur said, watching as Lilli stopped the horse in front of the castle and motioned for guards to come help her, "Let's go find out."

With Alfred following him, Arthur left the balcony and wove through the hallways, finding the nearest staircase they could. Once they had descended to the main level, they rushed into the foyer where guards and servants were just helping Lilli and Antonio inside. Antonio was barely conscious, and Arthur could see the shock and exhaustion on Lilli's face.

"Lilli, what happened?" Alfred asked.

"Your Majesties," Lilli bawled, "The Club Royals showed up and attacked us. Roderich killed Vash, and Francis stayed behind to fight Natalya and cover our escape. Antonio rode through most of the night."

"Clubs attacked Diamonds?" Arthur exclaimed in alarm, "That is bad news."

"Francis," Antonio groaned, "He said… if he survived… he'd send a raven … here to Spades… arrive by noon today…. ."

With that said, Antonio's head dropped, and the servants caught him as he blacked out.

"If that raven doesn't arrive," Lilli finished for Antonio, "We need the Jokers to investigate what happened to Francis."

"Get Queen Lilli and Ace Antonio to the guest rooms, they need some rest," Arthur ordered the servants, "Alfred, go wake up the others, we are officially in a state of emergency."


	21. Chapter 21

A quick formatting note before we start this chapter: any dialogue written " **like this** " is telepathic communication.

* * *

Peter groaned as the late morning light shined on his face. He was hoping that sleeping in would cure the strange headache that suddenly started the previous afternoon, but no such luck. As he sat up, Peter decided that all the other normal physiological headache causes had been ruled out, as he had more than enough time to try and heal himself.

Realizing it might have a different variety of cause, he focused on the magical energies of the Deck. Focusing on each of the kingdoms in turn, he halted when sensing Diamonds, noticing a massive change in the balance of life and death. Peter then tried to focus on the Royals themselves, but found something even more perplexing. Two of the four Royals had a strange energy emitting from them, and the other two were missing entirely from the area.

Peter could only conclude that something is rotten in the kingdom of Diamonds.

Jumping from his bed, he ran out of his room and across the corridor. Peter barged through the open door into Gilbert's room, where the other Joker was sitting on his bed with his hand against his head.

"Gil, something's wrong in Diamonds," Peter said, "Have you sensed it yet?"

"No, not yet," Gilbert mumbled, "This damn headache won't go away."

"Well, start trying to sense it, because my headache went away when I did."

"Ugh, fine, what's no damn important about Diamonds all of a sudden?"

"Very strange magical energy, coming from lots of death surrounding their castle."  
"What of the Royals?"

"Francis and Vash are there, but there is a strange energy emitting from them. I can't find Antonio or Lilli, they might not be in Diamonds anymore."

They were interrupted by the telepathic voice of a familiar young woman.

" **Gilbert, Peter, please answer me, we need your help.** "

"That was Queen Lilli," Peter told Gilbert.

" **Queen Lilli, where are you? What is happening in Diamonds?** " Gilbert answered the Queen's plea.

" **There's been an attack, Antonio and I barely escaped. Please come to Spades at once,** " Lilli explained.

" **Spades? Why are you there?** " Peter questioned.

" **Please come, we'll explain when you get here,** " Lilli insisted.

"Well, let's go find out," Peter said, and Gilbert nodded his head.

After a blink of an eye, they were in a meeting room at the Spades castle. Peter looked around and saw the Spade Royals with Antonio, Lilli and Emil.

"Your majesties," Gilbert said as he bowed, "What happened in Diamonds? There is a disturbance there strong enough to throw off the energies of the Deck itself!"

"The Club Royals showed up at the castle and attacked us," Lilli explained, "They killed Vash."

"Francis stayed behind to allow for our escape" Antonio continued, "He still hasn't sent word of his survival, which means we need your help."

"So, you need us to see what is going on in Diamonds?" Peter guessed.

"Exactly," Lilli replied.

"Why do you need us?" Gilbert asked, "Can't you send some Spade or Diamond soldiers?"

"We saw Roderich using magic, Gilbert," Antonio elaborated, "Magic that didn't come from the Club Jack's Bow."

That made Peter freeze in his spot, and a quick glance over proved that Gilbert was also alarmed.

"That can't be right," Gilbert denied, "Roderich doesn't use magic without his Bow."

"I know, I saw you test it that one time," Antonio confirmed, "And yet, there was a glow of magic when he was holding Vash's wrist after stabbing him."

"Francis instructed that you be summoned if we hadn't received his raven by noon today," Arthur added on, "Considering the situation, we decided getting you involved a bit earlier might be a better idea."

"Good thinking," Peter acknowledged, "What do you say, Gilbert? Are we going to Diamonds?"

Gilbert bowed his head to concentrate for a second, before nodding.

"Yes, we'll go," Gilbert said, "Get some rest, Antonio and Lilli. We'll bring a report as soon as we can."

Gilbert grabbed his shoulder, and Peter closed his eyes while Gilbert teleported them both. Once he felt Gilbert let go, Peter opened his eyes and felt his heart sink.

Corpses were spread all around the entrance to the Diamonds castle. Servants, guards and notaries had all perished, and the smell of death was appalling.

"It was just the four Club Royals that showed up, right?" Peter checked in shock, "They didn't bring a whole army do to this?"

"Don't let that fool you," Gilbert replied through his trance, "Those four alone are strong enough to take on an army."

"It looks like they already did," Peter said, looking down at the corpses. There were signs of different causes of death, but they all involved at least one of either bloody slashes or remnants of magic.

The Jokers went through the castle entrance, and found the foyer was also filled with bodies.

"Peter, over here," Gilbert said, and Peter followed to where a body lay in the middle of the room, dressed in well-tailored orange clothes. As soon as Peter saw the jaw-length blond hair, he knew it was Jack Vash.

"Lots of blood," Gilbert commented, "Lilli said Roderich stabbed him, right?"

Peter breathed deeply, before concentrating. He felt a small source of magical energy near Vash, along with what smelled like burnt skin. He followed the source to Vash's right knee, and halted when he realized what it should be. Peter tore the fabric, and found a large burnt patch of skin, with the outline of a diamond embossed in the middle of it.

"Vash's Diamond Mark," Peter observed, "It is supposed to fade away when he dies, but the skin just burned instead."

"I've never seen that before," Gilbert admitted, looking at the burnt Mark.

"What would make this happen?"

"It definitely wasn't normal, that's for certain. Not only are there no other burn victims yet, but the fabric covering it doesn't have the slightest trace of burning."

The Jokers stood up, and Peter followed Gilbert up the stairs, noting that the smell of corpses wasn't as strong as downstairs. However, when they reached the top, they noticed there was smoke towards the end of the hallway instead.

"Peter, go check that out," Gilbert said, "I'll check this wing."

As Gilbert turned right towards the King's study, Peter went left towards the fumes. Once close enough, he saw that the smoke was coming from Queen Lilli's study. The door was open, but lots of smoke was staying in the room. Noticing the balcony at the other end of the room, Peter teleported towards it and opened the balcony doors. The smoke fled the room quickly, and Peter felt the magical energy flowing through the smoke.

This fire was definitely caused by Queen Elizaveta.

Once the smoke had cleared, Peter looked around the room. The bookshelves and desk had nothing on them, and the ashes and dust were scattered to every corner, as if there had been books and scrolls spread around the floor before the fire.

It was all destroyed. Even all the Diamond Queen Ledgers were gone.

" **Peter, I found Francis,** " Gilbert said, interrupting his thoughts, " **He's dead as well, a deep slash through his chest and throat. His Mark is burnt, just like Vash's.** "

" **Elizaveta set the Queen's study ablaze, all the Diamond Queen Ledgers are destroyed,** " Peter replied back. " **The books and scrolls were all over the floor, as if Elizaveta had been looking for something.** "

" **We need to figure out what the Club Royals are up to,** " Gilbert said, " **You report to Spades, tell them what we found. I'll find the Club Royals and see what I can figure out.** "

" **I'm on it,** " Peter said, before teleporting back to Spades.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the King's Study, Gilbert was still kneeling by his friend's corpse. After talking to Peter, the shock had faded into depression. So many years, so many memories, and now Francis was laying there soaked in blood. Especially after Jeanne's death, their group knew that they would all bite the dust at some point.

But not like this. Not so soon.

Gilbert pulled his emotions together, and told himself to get to work. He reached over and pulled on Francis's eyelids to close them, before standing up and going over to the balcony. As he overlooked the nearby plains, Gilbert was relieved to see that the carnage had been limited to the castle. Using the peaceful landscape and fresh air to clear his mind, Gilbert closed his eyes and focused his Joker magic.

First, he channeled the spirits of the Jokers. As a means of accessing the Deck's history, the Jokers were able to summon the memories of their predecessors. Gilbert made the connection, and searched for any appearance of the burnt Marks having appeared before. Nothing came up directly, but one Joker's memory from a few centuries ago surfaced of a prophecy the Four Queens were assembling. The prophecy, known as the Absorbing, spoke of how the Four Suits of the Deck will be destroyed, and all would unite under one banner. This was when the Marks would change differently than before.

Gilbert knew the burnt Marks on Francis and Vash were certainly different, but could it really be the Absorbing?

Having found all he could on the topic, Gilbert ended his connection to the spirits, then channeled his magic on the Deck itself. Searching for the Club Royals, he searched for a few minutes before getting a hit and refining its location.

All four of them were in a carriage.

In Hearts.

Planning his teleport, Gilbert saw a tree that would pass just above the carriage in 10 seconds. With the blink of an eye, Gilbert relocated himself to a branch on that tree. A quick look confirmed that the carriage was approaching. In the nick of time, he teleported himself onto the carriage, landing as softly as he could on the roof. He crawled to the small vent just over the side of the carriage, and he could hear voices.

"When we arrive at the castle, what will be the plan?" Gilbert heard Roderich ask.

"We will play it by ear, but we will do what we did in Diamonds," Ivan replied.

"So, I get to pick a fight with Lovino? That should be fun." Natalya said.

"Queen Valencia wrote the Ledgers I need from Kiku's study. Once I find them, I'll burn the rest." Elizaveta said.

"Very good. Just remember, our top priority is killing the four of them." Ivan said.

Having heard more than enough, Gilbert noticed a city gate approaching, and teleported on top of it. As he watched the Clubs carriage go by, he realized they had just reached the capital city of Hearts.

" **Peter, we have a big problem,** " Gilbert spoke, " **The Club Royals just arrived in the Hearts capital. What they did in Diamonds, they plan to repeat here.** "

" **They're planning to kill the Heart Royals? What do we do?** " Peter asked.

" **See if Spades and Diamonds will give us any backup, then get over here,** " Gilbert said, " **I'll go to the Hearts castle and warn Ludwig.** "

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _So, in response to the previous chapter, pastaaddict mentioned that Hearts should watch out, now that Clubs had attacked both Spades and Diamonds. I got a laugh out of that, what a good call! I can't wait to see everyone's responses to what goes down in Hearts!_**


	22. Chapter 22

Although the Ace of Hearts is meant for more military control than court proceedings, Lovino is a skilled tactician and loves games of wit and strategy. Unfortunately, the fact that Kiku found a way for them to use it in court cases meant that Lovino had to attend court whenever he was available to do so. Of course, he was hardly ever needed, so Lovino would sit at a table to the right of the thrones, with wine and fruit to snack on. All he needed to do was interject a sentence or two when he noticed something of relevance in the proceedings.

Following the lunch recess, Lovino was sitting at his table, watching as all the courtiers and notaries gossiped around him. The throne room doors opened, and a small fanfare sounded as King Ludwig and Queen Kiku entered. The gossiping courtiers and notaries immediately ended their discussions and came to attention as Ludwig and Kiku sat on their thrones and commenced the court proceedings.

If there was one thing Ludwig insisted on, it was a well-behaved audience.

As the first speaker presented their case to the King and Queen, Lovino noticed that his foolish brother wasn't present. He knew Feliciano was speaking to someone about taxes during the lunch recess, so it's possible that he simply kept rambling and lost track of time. Feliciano hardly ever had anything useful to contribute to court proceedings anyways.

After a few minutes, the doors burst open during the middle of a case, and a man dressed in orange rushed to the front of the room past the guards.

"I beg your pardon, your Majesties," the man said, giving a quick bow, "but I must speak to Ace Lovino at once."

"Absolutely not, you are interrupting court proceedings!" Ludwig declined, motioning guards to take the man away.

"Wait a minute," Lovino intervened, "I know this man, your Majesty, let him speak to me. I'll keep it as quiet as I can."

Ludwig grunted as he nodded his head in approval, and the guards let the man walk over to Lovino's table.

"Giovanni, I thought your mission was to spy on Ace Antonio and find out what you could about his research," Lovino whispered, "Why aren't you in Diamonds?"

"My lord, it was an emergency, and I rushed here as quickly as I could," Giovanni whispered in reply, "There was an attack in Diamonds by the Club Royals."

"What?" Lovino squawked, loud enough to earn a nasty glare from Ludwig.

"They showed up unexpectedly yesterday afternoon, and started killing anyone they could find. The King and Jack are both dead, as are a couple hundred servants, guards and notaries."

"What about Antonio?"

"He disappeared, as has Queen Lilli. They were seen riding a horse into the forest, so they definitely escaped, but I have no clue where they are now."

"Ace Lovino, I'm hardly even allowing you to whisper at all," Ludwig interrupted for the court to hear, "If you don't keep quiet, I'll make you leave the room."

"Your Majesties, I personally sent this man to Diamonds a month ago," Lovino explained for the court to hear, "Surely his report on the sudden deaths of Diamond Royals is more important than your court proceedings."

The entire room burst into murmurs at the news.

"Deaths of Diamond Royals?" Kiku asked, "What happened?"

"The Club Royals showed up and started killing everyone at the Diamonds castle yesterday afternoon, your Majesties," Giovanni repeated, "King Francis and Jack Vash are dead, while Queen Lilli and Ace Antonio survived but have disappeared."

"And how do we know that you are telling the truth?" Ludwig demanded.

Before anyone could answer, a person in black suddenly showed up in the middle of the room. Recognizing the Joker immediately, Lovino had an idea.

"Gilbert, perfect timing," Lovino said, "What is going on in Diamonds?"

"There was a bloody massacre at their castle, but that is the least of your worries right now," Gilbert informed, "You need to get out of here, you're all in terrible danger."

"Danger? What danger?" Ludwig asked.

"The Club Royals are almost here," Gilbert urged, "They're planning to kill the four of you, along with anyone caught in their path."

"How much time do we have?" Lovino asked.

Before Gilbert could answer, a fanfare at the castle entrance announced the arrival of visiting Royalty. The notaries started making for the doors in a loud panic.

"Guards, take the notaries through the side and back entrances," Lovino ordered, taking charge of the chaos, "Get them off of castle grounds, and keep them out of sight."

"How do we know they will attack?" Ludwig bellowed, stepping down from his throne to talk to Gilbert.

"I heard them talking while I rode the roof of their carriage two minutes ago," Gilbert divulged.

"You eavesdropped on them?"

"Well, Elizaveta would've castrated me if I suddenly appeared inside the carriage. Now, back to the main topic. We're missing a Royal, where is Feliciano?"

"He was talking to a notary during lunchtime and got distracted. He is somewhere on the castle grounds, that's all we know for sure."

"Ludwig, go look for Feliciano," Kiku ordered, "Lovino and I will greet the Club Royals."

"You shouldn't be greeting them," Gilbert pleaded as Ludwig rushed off, "I need to get you out of here!"

"Gilbert, you go watch from the balcony," Kiku directed, "If they become hostile, you should get Ludwig and Feliciano out of here while Lovino and I keep the Clubs busy."

Gilbert huffed, before teleporting to the balcony. With the room now empty, Lovino quickly went to the entrance and looked through the doors.

"Gilbert, is there anything unusual we should know about before they get here?" Lovino heard Kiku ask. The Clubs were already coming down the hallway, and Elizaveta was casting spells to knock away anyone they saw. Lovino backed away from the door.

"Roderich was using magic," Gilbert replied, "The Diamond Marks on Francis and Vash didn't fade away like they normally do, the skin burned instead. It could be signs of a prophecy called the Absorbing."

Lovino froze in his steps. He quickly made eye contact with Kiku, and noticed he was also alarmed. They both knew the implications of what Gilbert had said.

His thoughts were interrupted as the Club Royals entered the room. Ivan and Elizaveta strolled in, with Roderich and Natalya following them. Lovino stood in the middle of the room, while Kiku waited by his throne.

"Ace Lovino, how lovely to see you," Ivan greeted, "Where is King Ludwig? I was hoping to speak with him."

"He is in the castle somewhere, your Majesty," Lovino replied, "We don't know where at the moment, so don't bother asking."

"Why is the room so empty?" Elizaveta asked, stepping forward to go past Lovino, "Isn't there usually court in session at this time?"

"The notaries were asked to leave," Lovino revealed, turning to watch as Elizaveta was now standing between him and Kiku, "Reports suddenly surfaced of strange activity in Diamonds."

"Strange activity in Diamonds?" Elizaveta giggled, "What a laugh. The Diamond Royals are perfectly fine, we were there just yesterday."

As she giggled, Lovino noticed a mischievous look in her eyes. Noticing them suddenly dart to something behind him, Lovino spun towards the other Clubs.

Just in time to see Natalya swinging her Axe at him, only to be blocked by a shield made of red magic.

As the force of the blocked blow repelled Natalya slightly, Lovino backed away from the four Club Royals and summoned the Heart Axe. Elizaveta had already spun around and started casting spells with green magic, while Kiku had stepped down from his throne and summoned more red magic. As darts of red and green spells started flying through the room, Natalya charged at Lovino to attack again. As she swung her Axe, Lovino swung with a counterblow. Noticing that Ivan and Roderich had left the room, and that Natalya was keeping him from following them, Lovino realized he needed support.

" **Gilbert, find Feliciano before they do** ," Lovino thought, " **Get him out of Hearts, now!** "

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Thanks to Red-Hot Habanero for reminding me that I needed more Gilbert x Clubs dynamics. I was planning to mention in the ball chapter that Gilbert often visited Clubs just to annoy the Royals. He doesn't mess with Ivan much, but he drives the others batshit crazy. Of course, the ballroom scene felt like it was running on, so that line was left out._**

 ** _Now, the fight is on. Can anyone guess what I have planned for the next few chapters?_**


	23. Chapter 23

Gilbert nearly had a heart attack when Natalya swung her Axe at Lovino. Thank goodness Kiku noticed in time to cast a shield, as he wouldn't have got downstairs in time to save Lovino. As he watched the fights break out from where he was crouched down behind a small tapestry hanging on the balcony rails, Gilbert realized there was some sort of plan to the matchups. The Aces and Queens were fighting their own ranks, while the mismatched King and Jack left the room in search of the others.

" **Gilbert, find Feliciano before they do,** " Lovino's voice rang in his head, " **Get him out of Hearts, now!** "

" **I'm working on it** ," Gilbert replied, " **Peter's bringing me backup, so just hang on.** "

A moment later, a person in orange was kneeling right beside him, and Gilbert turned to see that Antonio and Matthew had come with Peter.

"What took you so long?" Gilbert quizzed.

"Antonio wanted weapons, so we made a pit stop at the Spades armoury." Peter responded.

"They're already fighting?" Matthew asked, looking down at the two fights.

"Only two pairs of fights," Antonio observed, "Where are the others?"

"Feliciano is somewhere in the castle, Ludwig went to find him," Gilbert explained, "Ivan and Roderich have left, likely looking for Ludwig and Feliciano."

"I have a plan," Peter suggested, "Two of us could go downstairs, help Lovino and Kiku handle Elizaveta and Natalya. The other two should go look for Ludwig and Feliciano, since they should be easier to teleport to Spades first if they haven't already been found by Ivan or Roderich."

"That's a good idea," Matthew seconded, "How should we split up?"

Before anyone could answer, a loud yell followed by a pained gasp came from below, and Gilbert looked down. Elizaveta was using her magic to pull Kiku through the air towards her, with a thick strand of magic circling his throat and choking him. Kiku's face was turning colours from the asphyxiation, and he was trying to break himself free, but Elizaveta's magic was too strong.

"Kiku, hang on!" Lovino cried, trying to break away from his fight with Natalya with no success.

"Why aren't either of you going down to help him?" Matthew asked the Jokers in alarm.

"The Jokers can't interfere with a Queen's magic," Antonio explained, "If they interact with someone in the magic's grasp, they suffer the same pain."

With Kiku now in reaching distance, Elizaveta snatched his wrist, and a glow of magic surrounded her hand.

"Gilbert, there it is," Antonio exclaimed, pointing at the glow, "That's what Roderich did to Vash!"

Gilbert watched closely, as the glow continued, and summoned a connection to the spirits of previous Jokers. He quickly found that nobody had ever seen it before, but one was identifying it nonetheless.

The same spirit who told him of the burnt Marks and the Absorbing.

As the glow disappeared, Kiku had fallen limp, and Elizaveta dropped him to the ground. She bent over and moved the cloth of Kiku's cloth over, exposing Kiku's neck.

His Heart Mark was burnt away, just like with Francis and Vash.

"What the hell did you do?" Lovino asked, managing to back away from his fight with Natalya for a moment to watch Elizaveta, "Why didn't his Mark fade away?"

Elizaveta stood up, and lowered the neckline of her dress, showing Lovino and the others the Club Mark just above her right breast.

A Club Mark that was now overlapping a Heart Mark.

"I just absorbed Kiku's Mark," Elizaveta explained, "I am now both the Queen of Clubs and the Queen of Hearts."

Gilbert internally freaked out. The spirit who had told him about the Absorbing was right. It had begun.

Before he could intervene, Antonio suddenly rose from his spot.

"Toni, get down," Gilbert urged, trying to pull him back below the railing, "She'll see you."

"Elizaveta," Antonio shouted, ignoring Gilbert and drawing the attention to himself, "Should I be concluding that Francis and Vash suffered the same fate?"

"Toni?" Lovino yelled, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Lovino asks a very good question, Antonio," Elizaveta concurred, "I would love to know why you are here."

"Answer my question first, you crazy bitch," Antonio demanded.

"They certainly did suffer Kiku's fate," Elizaveta sneered, "And if you're going to call me a bitch, maybe I should make sure you suffer as well."

As Elizaveta summoned a spell, Antonio reached his hand down to Gilbert.

"Peter, Matthew, go find the others," Antonio quietly muttered, "Gilbert, get me downstairs right now."

Just as Elizaveta fired the spell, Gilbert grabbed Antonio's wrist and teleported them down to the main floor. The Queen was already glaring at the pair as soon as the spell was complete.

"Gilbert," Elizaveta belittled, "I should've figured that the most pathetic Joker in Deck history would be involved."

"Elizaveta," Gilbert shot back, "Could it be that your hunger for power is making you even uglier?"

"I wouldn't say that, if I were you," Elizaveta growled, summoning red and green swirls of magic in her hands, "Natalya, kill Lovino as quickly as you can. I'll handle these two idiots."

Gilbert summoned his own magic, and a swirl of black materialized into a Joker's Scythe. He looked over at Antonio, who was holding a pair of axes in his hands.

"Are you not using the Diamond Axe, Antonio?" Elizaveta mocked, "Should I tell Gilbert why?"

"The answer is simple," Antonio resisted, arranging himself in a fighting stance, "I won't be needing it."

* * *

Peter and Matthew had dodged Elizaveta's spell, rushing to the far end of the balcony as quickly as they could while Antonio and Gilbert teleported downstairs. Peter peeked down again, and saw their strategy.

"They're taking on Elizaveta together, while Lovino continues fighting Natalya," Peter told Matthew, "Come on, we'll go look for Ludwig and Feliciano."

The two got up, keeping low so they wouldn't be seen past the balcony railing, and went through the doors into the upper level hallways. Peter led Matthew down each hallway, and they paused whenever they thought they were a sound. After a few minutes of searching, they heard footsteps at the end of their hallway, and quickly stood against the wall to watch.

Down where their hallway ended and crossed another, Feliciano ran past, facing backwards with his bow and releasing a red arrow. As Feliciano left their sight, a green arrow fired through in the Jack's direction. After another moment, they watched Roderich following Feliciano, holding an arrow to his Bow and ready to fire.

"Looks like Roderich already found Feliciano," Matthew muttered quietly.

"I'll go get Feli and take him back to Spades," Peter said, "You go find Ludwig, and bring him to that balcony in the throne room. I'll meet you there."

"Sounds good," Matthew agreed.

Peter teleported to the end of the hallway, looked around the corner, and saw that Roderich was kicking open a door. As soon as the Jack entered the room, Peter teleported to the door and looked inside. The room was filled with rows of bookshelves, with aisles down the middle and sides, and Roderich was checking every possible hiding spot.

"I know you're in here, Feliciano," Roderich taunted, "The sooner you come out, the less painful I'll make it."

Peter knew he wouldn't see anything, but he had to find Feliciano before Roderich did.

" **Feliciano, it's Peter, can you hear me?** " Peter thought, " **I'm at the front of the room, I need to teleport you to Spades. Where are you hiding?** "

As Roderich cautiously inspected between each of the rows from the middle aisle, Peter started fearing that Feliciano would be found before he could help him. As Roderich got to the second-last row, he finally got an answer.

" **Last row on the left, back corner, please hurry!** "

Roderich was already about to inspect that last row, and Peter knew he had to react, so he immediately teleported. Now standing partway down the left side of the row, Peter quickly summoned his magic as Roderich came around the turn and lifted his Bow at him. The Joker's Scythe appeared just in time for Peter to swing it at the outstretched Bow and ruin Roderich's attack.

After a couple more swings of the Scythe, Roderich had backed down past the aisle and into the right half of the row. Just then, a red arrow flew past Peter's head, lodging itself into the right side bookshelf, and the arrow's magical enhancement made the books fall onto Roderich.

"Peter, let's go now!"

Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Peter reached back, grabbed Feliciano's wrist, and teleported to Spades before Roderich could recover.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Now you know the mechanics of the Absorbing. Still a lot more action and intricate details coming, this is the first of three very busy chapters..._**


	24. Chapter 24

Elizaveta was giving them hell, but Antonio was managing to stay in the fight. Gilbert was taunting Elizaveta into using her magic on him, while Antonio would get as close as he could with his weapons for a closer-range attack.

It was after a few minutes of fighting, while Antonio was backing away after Elizaveta successfully blocked his blows again, that he saw it.

Natalya had cornered Lovino against a wall, and a swing of her Club Axe was knocking the Heart Axe out of Lovino's hands. Before Lovino could recover, Natalya was already swinging her Axe again, and the blade carved Lovino's throat.

"Lovino!" Antonio hollered, but it was already too late.

As the blood gushed from the Heart Ace's throat and his entire body twitched in agony, Natalya grabbed Lovino's wrist, and the glow of the Absorbing magic appeared again. Like Antonio had, Gilbert and Elizaveta paused the fighting to watch as Natalya absorbed Lovino's Heart Mark. After a few moments, Natalya let go and backed away from the fresh corpse.

"Is it done, Natalya?" Elizaveta asked, "Three of four?"

"Three of four?" Gilbert repeated, "What do you mean, three of four?"

"Perhaps you should ask Antonio," Natalya hinted as she lifted her skirt and lowered a stocking, revealing the Mark on her right calf, "He knows exactly what it means."

From the small distance, Antonio could see enough detail to know that Natalya's Club Mark was now overlapping a Diamond and a Heart.

"Unfortunately, there's something else I want to test before I reveal what I know," Antonio admitted, "Of course, that is dependent on me getting out of this alive."

"I'd rather prepare you for Brother," Natalya refused, approaching Antonio with her Axe in a fighting position. Noticing her stance, Antonio prepared his own, holding an axe in each hand and pointing them in each direction, one towards the Ace and the other at the Queen.

" **Gil, focus on getting Matthew and Ludwig out of here** ," Antonio thought, " **I'm the expendable one, so don't worry about me**."

" **Don't even think about it, Toni** ," Gilbert replied, positioning himself with Scythe in hand, back to back with Antonio, " **You're getting out of here with me, I'll make sure of it**."

Once that was said, Antonio charged into a fight with Natalya, while Gilbert charged towards Elizaveta.

* * *

Ludwig had no luck finding Feliciano. He had been to all the floors of the castle, but couldn't find the hyperactive Jack anywhere. If Gilbert was telling the truth, then Ludwig suspected that a particular Club King might be trying to find him. The hallways were eerily quiet for that time of the afternoon, and Ludwig was pausing at every sound in case it was an enemy.

As he came to the end of a hallway, he heard some footsteps down the next stretch, and Ludwig immediately went to the side and hid around a statue of armour. He held his breath as someone walked by without seeing him, and frowned in confusion as he recognized the familiar shaggy-haired blond wearing blue clothing.

"Matthew?" Ludwig quietly asked, getting the Ace's attention, "What are you doing here?"

"Your Majesty, am I glad to see you," Matthew said, rushing to Ludwig's side, "I came with Peter and Antonio, we're helping Gilbert get you all out of here."

"Clubs actually attacked, didn't they? Do you know where the others are?"

"Peter just went to rescue Feliciano from Roderich and teleport him to Spades. Lovino and Natalya were fighting in the throne room, while Antonio and Gilbert are also there keeping Elizaveta busy. I haven't spotted Ivan, but Gilbert believes he is searching for you."

"What about Kiku? Wasn't he in the throne room?"

Matthew paused, and Ludwig felt the dread in the pause.

"I'm so sorry, Ludwig, but Kiku was slain. Elizaveta used magic, we couldn't interfere."

Ludwig nodded grimly at the news. He and Kiku suspected that the Timepiece would foretell the Queen's death soon. If anything, it had been slightly overdue. However, he couldn't dwell on it now.

"Surely you've been told what to do if you found me?"

"Peter said he'd meet me on the balcony above the throne room. I should bring you there with me, he can take us to Spades."

"We're on the main floor right now, a throne room entrance is this way."

Ludwig took Matthew down the hallway, and they turned into the one just by an entrance to the throne room. Seeing the last person in the Deck he wanted to see at the moment standing there, Ludwig motioned for Matthew to quickly hide amongst the pillars and tapestries along the wall.

"Ah, there you are, Ludwig," the Club King saluted cheerfully, "I've been looking for you."

"King Ivan," Ludwig replied, "What are you doing here?"

"You know, my original plans had you as the strongest of the Kings I would face," Ivan divulged as he walked closer, "As such, I was hoping that absorbing the Marks from Berwald and Francis would give me an advantage. Alas, it was not meant to be."

"What exactly do you mean by 'absorbing' Marks?" Ludwig questioned.

"The end of the Four Suits has arrived, and there are too many Royals," Ivan explained, summoning green magic in his hand, "When I kill another King, I can take their Mark and position in their Suit."

"So, by killing me," Ludwig concluded, "You can take my place as the King of Hearts."

"Exactly," Ivan sneered, before charging at Ludwig with the materialized Club Sword. Dodging the first blow, Ludwig quickly summoned his own Sword, just in time to block Ivan's second swing. The fight quickly escalated from there, and both men were making the strongest blows they could. Ludwig had been taught to use his muscular build to add force to his attacks and defenses, but Ivan was able to do the same.

Their fight had them circling each other, and the path of their duel led them through the door into the throne room. A few strong blows by Ivan led to Ludwig quickly backing himself up into the doorframe. Another swing of Ivan's Club Sword forced the Heart Sword flying out of Ludwig's hand and out of reach. As Ivan swung again, Ludwig turned, and his right arm bore the damage as the Club Sword sliced into the muscle. Ludwig growled as the pain forced him to the ground. As he collapsed, he reached his left hand to brace his impact to the floor, only for it to slip on something wet and ruin the brace. As he collapsed hard, he looked to the side and saw what his hand had slipped on.

Blood.

Blood from Lovino's corpse, sitting limp against the wall.

Ludwig turned again, and saw Ivan standing above him, bringing his Sword around to hover above Ludwig's chest, pointing it down, ready for the plunge.

Before Ludwig could react, a blur of blue suddenly crashed into Ivan, pushing him away. Ludwig sat back up, and watched as Ivan regained his footing. The Ace of Spades was now standing between them, with his Axe ready for a fight.

"Matthew," Ivan snarled, "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Matthew retorted, "And what makes you think you can get away with killing half the Deck Royals without Spades finding out about it?"

As Ivan charged and swung the Sword, Matthew immediately swung his Axe and blocked the blow. As the two fought, Matthew was the one gaining ground, forcing Ivan further away from Ludwig.

"Gilbert, get Ludwig out of here, now!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Ludwig looked past Ivan and Matthew, and saw Antonio fighting Natalya while Gilbert was dealing with Elizaveta. A blink of an eye later, Gilbert was standing right beside Ludwig.

"Come on, Luddy," Gilbert said, grabbing his wrist, "Let's get you to Spades."

The next thing Ludwig saw was blue.


	25. Chapter 25

Matthew was relieved to see that Ivan hadn't noticed Ludwig telling him to hide. He watched closely as the two Kings exchanged words, and got a bit pissed off hearing Ivan's strategy of killing Berwald before taking on the Heart King.

Berwald would have been much harder to kill in hand-to-hand combat, but Ivan chose to play dirty, sneak into his bedroom instead and kill him in his sleep. They were lucky that Ivan wasn't able to absorb Berwald's Mark that night, and that it was all for naught.

As Ludwig and Ivan began their fight, Matthew moved forward, sticking as close to the pillars and tapestries as he could. Once they went through the doors to the throne room, Matthew quickly caught up to them, just in time to see the Heart Sword fly off and Ivan slice into Ludwig's arm.

He knew that he would have to intervene, so he quickly summoned his Spade Axe while Ivan positioned himself. Once the Axe had finished materializing, Matthew charged, barreling into Ivan and pushing him away from Ludwig. As the two of them regained their footing, Matthew was standing in front of Ludwig, blocking Ivan's way.

"Matthew," Ivan snarled, "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Matthew retorted, "And what makes you think you can get away with killing half the Deck Royals without Spades finding out about it?"

Matthew noticed the anger in Ivan's face as he charged, and Matthew immediately swung his Axe into a defensive maneuver. Blow after blow, Matthew gained control of the footing, and he soon had Ivan moving further away from Ludwig.

"Gilbert, get Ludwig out of here, now!" Matthew heard Antonio shout from elsewhere in the room. Ivan found a chance to take control of the footing, switching it so that Matthew was no longer blocking the way to Ludwig. As Ivan backed away and turned to look at Ludwig again, Matthew noticed that only Lovino's corpse remained.

Gilbert had already taken Ludwig back to Spades.

Before he could resume the fight, Matthew suddenly felt something wrap around his wrists and ankles and lift him into the air. He looked to his hand, and saw a strand of interwoven red and green magic holding him still. It quickly forced him to drop the Spade Axe.

"Won't you look at this, Ivan darling," Elizaveta's voice said from behind him, "We may have lost Ludwig for now, but you can have the other two rascals!"

Matthew looked to his right, and saw Antonio being brought beside him. Elizaveta's magic had trapped him the same way, and Ivan was now standing in front of both of them.

"This is indeed a lucky day for me," Ivan agreed, "It's so good, I almost can't decide who should go first."

Ivan glared at Matthew, before raising his Sword to rest at his throat.

"To think, such a pretty thing ends up being one of my worst enemies," Ivan taunted, "Perhaps I should start by sending your severed head to Spades. Watching your brother suffer would make a delightful show."

"I really wouldn't do that, if I were you," Antonio warned.

"Oh really?" Ivan questioned, looking at the Diamond Ace with a raised eyebrow, "Why not?"

"By the time you sent Matthew's head to Spades, I can easily be rescued," Antonio threatened, "You wouldn't want the Deck Royal who knows the most about the Absorbing warning everyone, would you? Especially if I know exactly how many Marks you have so far."

Ivan's glare shifted between the two of them for a moment, eyebrow still raised, before looking back at Matthew again.

"As much as I'd love to kill you first," Ivan pondered aloud, "Antonio has a valid point."

Ivan swiftly swung his Sword away from Matthew's neck, walked over to the Ace of Diamonds, and forced the blade through Antonio's gut.

"Antonio!" Matthew yelled in shock, watching as Antonio reacted to the pain. After a few moments, Antonio's face and limbs went lax, and Elizaveta loosened her control on his arms.

Just as Ivan was reaching for Antonio's left wrist, Matthew watched Antonio's face come back to life with a demonic smile. He pulled his left hand behind him, out of Ivan's reach, and swung his right fist into Ivan's face.

As Ivan recoiled with his hands against his nose, Matthew was suddenly freed from Elizaveta's magic and dropped to the ground, and he heard Antonio groan in pain as he also hit the floor. A figure in black was suddenly between them, and Matthew watched as Peter grabbed both their wrists. Before he could blink, the three of them had teleported to the Spades meeting room. Yao rushed to Matthew's side and helped him up, while Alfred helped Antonio get up.

"Matthew, are you alright?" Yao checked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Matthew replied, looking around the room. Arthur was using magic to heal the deep cut on Ludwig's arm, and Feliciano was sitting right beside them. Lilli was rushing over to where Alfred was helping Antonio to a chair. Gilbert suddenly appeared beside Peter, with a disgusted look on his face and his tongue sticking out.

"Ugh," Gilbert muttered, "I am not kissing that hag ever again, even if it's to ruin her spells!"

Matthew walked over to where Alfred had put Antonio into the chair, and Lilli was summoning magic around his wound.

"What happened to Antonio?" Arthur asked, finishing his own healing spell on Ludwig, "How bad is it?"

"Ivan's Club Sword went right through him," Matthew told the others.

"Lilli, don't bother," Antonio insisted breathlessly, grabbing Lilli's hand and distracting her from the spell, "It's fatal, you can't save me."

"Don't you dare say that," Lilli pleaded, tears already rolling down her face, "I can save you Antonio, please let me try!"

"Save your strength, you will need it to help the others," Antonio reassured, raising his hand to caress her face and wipe the tears, "The Absorbing has begun. Find the Ledgers of the Four Queens, and check the Timepieces of the Four Suits. They will guide the way to stopping Clubs. Please, my sweet Lilli, be strong and save the others."

Lilli couldn't respond, and began weeping into Antonio's shoulder. As his left arm wrapped around her, his right hand reached out to Matthew.

"Matthew, come here," Antonio requested, "Please, take my hand."

Realizing what would likely happen, Matthew warily approached and took Antonio's hand in his. Just as he expected, a glow of magic surrounded their hands, and almost everyone else in the room gasped at what they saw.

"I knew it would be you," Antonio said, "Matthew, promise me you'll take care of Lilli. Keep her safe, whatever it takes."

"I promise," Matthew swore, "I'll protect her."

"Good," Antonio muttered, "Yes, very good."

The glow disappeared, and Antonio's body fell limp. Lilli shook him to try for a response, before checking his pulse.

"He's gone," Lilli stuttered.

"That glow of magic," Ludwig asked warily, "What was that?"

"That was the Absorbing," Peter answered, "Gilbert, check Toni's Mark. Matthew, show them yours."

As Gilbert moved Lilli aside, Matthew went and took off his armour and shirts. As he did this, Gilbert flipped Antonio's body over, and pulled the shirt up to expose his lower back.

Antonio's Mark was burnt.

"His Mark didn't fade away?" Lilli asked in shock.

"No, Marks don't fade away during the Absorbing," Peter revealed, "They get taken."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Arthur demanded.

"It means exactly what it sounds like," Matthew replied, taking his last shirt off and spinning to face away from the others. The gasps confirmed what he knew had happened.

"Mattie, your Mark," Alfred stammered, "Your Spade is now overlapping a Diamond!"

"How can he have two Suit Marks?" Yao asked in confusion.

"It's a long story, and we have a lot to explain," Gilbert disclosed, "A short answer would be that an old prophecy called the Absorbing has begun, and that glow of magic allowed Matthew to take Antonio's Mark and become both the Ace of Spades and the Ace of Diamonds."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Ah, a good chapter to post on my birthday. Reviews to this chapter will be like candles on my cake, and flames to Antonio's death will just make them burn brighter :)_**


	26. Chapter 26

Yao had the feeling that today would be a very long day. After the deaths of Antonio, Lovino and Kiku yesterday, the other Royals were too stressed to partake in a meeting, so Arthur had Yao meet with them individually to get their stories. He was awake late into the night putting everything together, and now had a concrete timeline to be referenced.

As everyone gathered into the meeting room, Yao took a look around the table. On his side of the table, Alfred was in the middle, with Yao to the left and Arthur to the right. On the left side of the table, Queen Lilli was in the middle, with Matthew to her left and Emil to her right. On the right side at the table, Ludwig and Feli sat together whispering. At the far end of the table, opposite to the Spades, two empty seats were waiting for the Jokers.

Yao took a quick glance to where Lilli was whispering with Matthew. The poor girl had suffered the most so far, having lost the three people most dear to her in the Deck. Yao knew she was very close to Francis and Antonio, so those deaths stung for her almost as much as Vash's. Since the Queen and Ace had to escape Diamonds as quickly as they could, Lilli didn't even get the chance to grieve for her brother until after Antonio had also passed on.

Yao noticed that Matthew was gently holding her hand, and he realized how much the Spade Ace's presence was helping Lilli. Matthew had comforted her through everything the day before, and Lilli eventually dozed offs in his arms after the sun set. Alfred had found them holding each other in their sleep this morning, and Arthur was lucky to get the idiot out of the room before Matthew woke up. Yao could already see that the night of rest had helped Lilli immensely.

Yao took a look at the other side of the table, and noticed that Feliciano's signature smile was nowhere to be seen. When it became apparent that the Jokers and Aces didn't rescue Lovino, Ludwig ended up dragging the hysterical Jack out of the room to explain what happened to the Ace and Queen of Hearts. Feliciano's wails of despair were loud enough to pierce eardrums through the walls.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road," Peter exclaimed as he and Gilbert entered the room and took their seats.

"The Absorbing is an old prophecy, assembled a few centuries ago by the Four Queens who were in power at the time," Gilbert began, "The prophecy speaks of the end of the Four Suits, and how the Deck will unite under one banner. The only concrete information was written in the Ledgers of each of those Queens. During the events of the last few days, I consulted the memories of previous Jokers, and there was only one who could identify what the glowing magic and the burnt Marks meant. This same Joker was alive at the time the prophecy was made, and the Queens allowed him to know that these strange things could only be caused by the Absorbing."

"The Clubs must have figured it out," Alfred said, "They somehow knew that the Absorbing had begun, and they already took a huge advantage over us."

"It certainly sounds like it," Yao concurred, "According to what we have witnessed the last two days, we can conclude that Roderich took Vash's Mark, Ivan most likely took Francis's, Elizaveta took Kiku's, Natalya took Lovino's, and Matthew took Antonio's."

"This is going to be lots to keep track of," Emil commented, "Wouldn't it make sense to find these Queen Ledgers?"

"Unfortunately, Elizaveta set Lilli's study in Diamonds on fire, and all the Diamond Queen Ledgers have been destroyed," Peter stressed, "Whatever information would have been written by Queen Juliana is lost. Gilbert also heard Elizaveta talk about searching Kiku's study for Heart Queen Ledgers, so it's possible that those ones have also been destroyed."

"That's not entirely true," Lilli confessed, "Antonio told me his family has been studying the Absorbing for years. Before her death, Queen Jeanne had lent him the Ledgers of Queen Juliana, so that Antonio may continue his research. He was telling me about this just before the Club Royals arrived the other day, so the required Diamond Ledgers should still be on his desk. He had read all he could on the Absorbing but it wasn't enough information, so he had recently asked Queen Kiku to look in the Hearts Ledgers."

"Are you implying that Kiku knew about the Absorbing?" Ludwig asked.

"I believe he did," Lilli continued, "The report I received from Kiku the other day had a note for Antonio slipped into it without a seal. It said that Kiku had found discussion of the Absorbing in Queen Valencia's Ledgers, but he wouldn't share it unless Antonio revealed how Diamonds was involved."

"Hold on a second," Feliciano interrupted, "Did you just say Queen Valencia?"

"Yes, I did," Lilli replied, "Valencia would have been one of the Four Queens who assembled the prophecy."

"Lovino and Kiku gave me Valencia's Ledgers about a month ago," Feliciano divulged, "I was told they would have information that I would need, and that I should keep them safe!"

"You have Queen Ledgers hidden somewhere?" Ludwig exclaimed, "Why the hell didn't any of you tell me about this?"

"I don't know why they didn't tell you," Feliciano faltered, "They were more insistent on making sure I knew where to find them, in case they… in case they weren't around to retrieve them when the time came."

"Well, I think that time has come," Alfred took over, "We should arrange some trips to Diamonds and Hearts, in order to retrieve those Queen Ledgers, while Arthur can help us find the ones for Spades. I'll take a wild guess and say we won't be getting to the Club Ledgers easily."

"What about the Timepieces?" Matthew pointed out, "Antonio said we should check those as well, it might be tied to everything somehow."

"If we are going to check the Hearts Timepiece, Ludwig and I both have to go," Feliciano noted, "What if the Club Royals are still there?"

"Let me find out, hold on a second," Peter said, and the others gave him a moment to channel his powers before continuing, "They are not a problem. The Club Royals are returning to their own castle, probably to regroup before their next move."

"Okay, we have a plan," Gilbert summarized, "Peter will take Ludwig and Feliciano to Hearts, while I'll take Lilli and Matthew to Diamonds. The rest of the Spades will stay here and find the Ledgers of the Spade Queen who ruled at the time."

"Why is Mattie going to Diamonds?" Alfred whined.

"Because he is technically the Ace of Diamonds," Gilbert sassed.

"Don't worry, Al," Matthew reassured, "Nothing will happen. We'll be back before you know it."

"Well, let's get going," Gilbert said, walking over to the Diamonds pair, "Lilli, you might want your handkerchief right away, I'm certain the dead bodies are stinking up the place."

"Wait a moment," Yao reminded, "Does anyone know which Spade Queen would have written about the Absorbing? We'll have to search through Arthur's entire study for the right Ledgers, after all."

"Oh yeah, of course," Gilbert chuckled, concentrating for a moment, "It would have been…. Ah yes, Queen Guinevere of Spades! Find the Ledgers of Queen Guinevere, we'll be back shortly!"

Gilbert grabbed Matthew and Lilli, and they teleported away, as did Peter with Ludwig and Feliciano moments later. Yao was alone in the room with Alfred, Arthur and Emil.

"I should imagine that everyone will return at different times," Emil assumed, "I'll inform the housekeeper to prepare for scattered lunches. I'll also get some quills and paper for making notes."

"Thank you, Emil," Yao acknowledged, "We'll be in Arthur's study, looking for Guinevere's Ledgers."

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _So, they're now going to try to figure out what the hell is going on here. A bit of a spoiler: the next three chapters are going to reference a LOT of the tiny hints I've been dropping through the entire story so far, so now is a good chance to re-read some of it. None of you have jumped at guessing anything yet in the reviews, so now's our last chance to see if any of you could catch onto anything before the truth is revealed..._**


	27. Chapter 27

The moment they arrived in Diamonds, Matthew's nose was assaulted by the smells before he could even see the dead bodies.

"Ugh, it's terrible," Matthew complained, before getting a chance to look around at the corpses.

"I think it was warm yesterday," Gilbert detected, "The heat makes the bodies start rotting a lot faster. Come on, let's get this done before the smells knock Lilli unconscious."

Matthew took Lilli's arm, and they followed Gilbert into the castle. As they went through the foyer, Lilli stopped them in front of Vash's corpse, and she knelt down beside it and brushed her hand against Vash's cheek.

"I never thought he would die so young," Lilli mused aloud, "I doubt he would want his body left like this."

"I can move it somewhere while you and Matthew check the Timepiece," Gilbert suggested.

"Yes, that would be good," Lilli agreed as Matthew helped her back up, "Put him in his quarters, and wrap him in the bed sheets. Do the same for Francis. If we survive this, I'll have the bodies cremated."

"Will do."

As Gilbert went to pick up Vash's body, Lilli led Matthew further into the castle. The throne room didn't have as many bodies, so the smells weren't as bad in there. Matthew looked around in awe at how the entire room was decorated in orange, gold and diamonds. Lilli went behind the golden thrones and lifted the tapestry, revealing a hidden passage.

"You know, I thought that those who weren't the Royals of a Suit would be killed by the Timepiece," Matthew said, "Are we sure that won't happen to me?"

"I just asked Gilbert telepathically about that," Lilli assured, "He says that you're emitting the magical energy of a Diamond Royal, so you should be fine."

Lilli led him through the hole and into the corridor, and Matthew noticed it was all set up in a suspiciously similar way to where the Spades Timepiece was hidden. At the very end was a large piece of glass shaped like a diamond, with a gold frame and clock in the center.

"So, the Diamonds Timepiece is shaped like a Diamond," Matthew observed, before noticing that Lilli had frozen in front of it, "Lilli, what is it?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the hands of the clock supposed to hit 12 when a Royal dies?"

Matthew didn't answer, looking at what the clock said instead. With what had recently happened, the hour and second hands should have been at the 12, and the hidden Ace hand would be there as well.

This clock was showing only the minute hand at the 12. The hour hand was at the 7, while the second hand was at the 4.

"Something happened to the Timepiece," Lilli said, "How can it show that Francis and Vash are still alive when they have died?"

"There is something you could try," Matthew suggested, "The Spade Ace Ledgers say that the four times could be shown in numerical format by a Queen with enough latent magic power. Maybe you could determine the moment the Timepiece went off the chart."

"That's a good idea," Lilli replied, and Matthew stood back as Lilli summoned her magic. Swirls of orange were soon circling the Timepiece, before shooting up into the air and forming text.

 _Francis 7:15:00_

 _Lilli 12:00:00_

 _Vash 3:00:00_

 _Antonio 7:00:00_

"It looks as if I had just become Queen, or if I'm the one about to die," Lilli noted, before giving another wave of magic.

 _Francis 7:14:59_

 _Jeanne 11:59:59_

 _Vash 2:59:59_

 _Antonio 6:59:59_

"What did you do?" Matthew asked.

"I put it to one moment earlier on my clock, and my name switched to Jeanne," Lilli explained, "All the times changed by the same amount, which means that it's not just that my reign is longer. With this considered, we can conclude that the Timepiece froze the moment I became Queen 3 years ago."

Lilli waved her hand once again, and all the numbers disappeared. Matthew followed her out of the Timepiece room, and back into the throne room.

"We should get the Ledgers, and return to Spades," Lilli said as they went back into the foyer and up the main stairs, where Gilbert was waiting for them.

"I moved both bodies into Vash's room," Gilbert reported, "They'll still be good for a couple days, if you change your mind and want to bury them instead."

"Thank you, Gilbert," Lilli acknowledged, "Now, let's get the Ledgers."

Matthew and Gilbert followed Lilli down the hallway, and paused to look at her destroyed Queen's study. None of them had to say a word as Lilli went inside to see the room filled with ash and burnt furniture. After a moment, Lilli left the room and shut the doors, before leading the boys a little further to another door.

"Antonio's study," Lilli informed Matthew as she opened the door.

They entered the room and went straight to the desk, where a couple Diamond Queen Ledgers still sat amongst other paperwork.

"Thank goodness Elizaveta didn't know to look here," Lilli reflected, "We were very lucky."

Matthew opened the first book out of curiosity, and noticed the writing at the top.

 _This Ledger was written by Juliana Carriedo, the 32nd Queen of Diamonds…._

"Queen Juliana was a Carriedo?" Matthew asked, "Wasn't that Antonio's last name?"

"I never thought of that before," Gilbert disclosed, "Queen Juliana gave birth to a son just before her Diamond Mark was discovered. At the time, any children of Royals were left with relatives or given for adoption. However, since she had been living on the streets destitute and alone, she demanded he live with her in the castle instead of giving him up. She was nicknamed as the 'Matron Queen' because of it, along with the motherly approach to her reign. She was one of the strongest Royals Diamonds ever had."

"I found Kiku's note," Lilli said, as she grabbed a crumbled piece of paper from the desk and flattened it, "This is how I found out about everything."

"It should come back to Spades with us," Gilbert advised, "Maybe Feliciano or Ludwig might figure out what Kiku wasn't willing to share with Antonio."

"Good idea," Matthew agreed as he picked up the Ledgers, "Do we have everything?"

"Yes, we have it all," Lili confirmed, "Gilbert, take us back."

* * *

"Okay, I believe these Ledgers are organized from oldest to newest," Arthur mused aloud, staring at the bookshelf in his study with Alfred and Yao, "And if we assume that each Queen averaged 3 books over 20 years, we would end up -"

"Here, let's try this one first!" Alfred shouted barging in and pulling out a book before Arthur could point out the section he wanted.

"Don't just pull one out, you git!" Arthur ordered, "I wasn't even going to point in that section, so put it back before you mix it all up!"

"Why would I put it back?" Alfred questioned, having already opened it, "It says right here that is was written by Queen Guinevere."

"Wait, what?" Arthur exclaimed, looking over Alfred's arm and reading the text, "How did you know it would be there?"

"I didn't," Alfred answered, "I just guessed."

"Let's see here," Yao muttered, pulling a couple more Ledgers off the shelf around where Alfred pulled out the first one and looking in the covers, "Guinevere…. Alice, no… Guinevere….. Katherine. We have the three Ledgers written by Queen Guinevere during her rule."

"Excellent, we should take these to the meeting room," Arthur said, "Perhaps we may find something before the others return."

"What about the Timepiece?" Alfred asked, "Who will go check ours? We'll need at least two of us."

"You two can go look," Yao suggested, "I'll take these Ledgers to the meeting room. Emil will probably already be there waiting to help with the research."

"Thank you, Yao," Arthur said as Alfred handed over the Ledgers, "We will join you shortly."

The group left the study, and Yao headed off in one direction while Arthur took Alfred the other way.

"Hey Artie, what are the odds of us both getting out of this alive?"

"I have no clue, love. We don't really know what we are up against here."

"If it were up to me, destroying the Clubs would be all we have to do. I'd let the others live, if I can."

"As lovely as that sounds, Alfred, I have a bad feeling that won't happen. If the Absorbing is meant to unite us all under one banner, then how would we rule the Deck with two Kings, two Queens, two Jacks and one Ace?"

Arthur suddenly felt Alfred tug on his sleeve, stopping him just in front of the entrance to the throne room. He looked up into the worried blue eyes.

"Do you really think so, Artie? The others are nice, I don't want to kill them."

Arthur shook his head and sighed.

"I had another dream last night, poppet. I saw a King's Sword, a Queen's Shield, a Jack's Bow and an Ace's Axe, adorned with the four Suit colours interwoven together. It was as though the weapons of the four Suits had merged into one set. I cannot deny what this dream says, especially with Matthew's report of Elizaveta using interwoven red and green magic after taking Kiku's Mark. I believe we may find that only one Royal of each rank is meant to survive this."

Alfred exhaled, nodding his head in comprehension.

"Let's hope your dream is wrong then."

Arthur was pulled closer for a moment as Alfred planted a kiss on his lips, then was let go. With Alfred's hand in his, Arthur led him into the throne room. They lifted the tapestry and went into the familiar corridor, and soon saw the Spade Timepiece. Arthur quickly raised an eyebrow at what it showed, before shaking his head in dissent.

"It still looks the same as it did when Mattie and I tested our Marks. Hour hand at the 12, minute hand halfway past the 12, and second hand just past the 1."

"That shouldn't be surprising, it has only been three months. Although, to be fair, my minute hand should have moved at least a little bit."

"How do we find out for sure?"

"I have an idea. Remember when we tested your Marks, Yao mentioned that a powerful enough Queen could show all four times in numerical format?"

"Oh yeah, of course. It's all yours, honey."

Rolling his eyes as Alfred stepped back to watch, Arthur summoned his magic and channeled it towards the Timepiece. Swirls of blue magic were soon circling it, before shooting up into the air and forming text.

 _Alfred 12:00:00_

 _Arthur 12:32:12_

 _Yao 1:10:32_

 _Matthew 12:00:00_

"Geez, Mattie and I must have gotten our Marks at the same time then, unless they just move so slowly that one was still at zeroes when the other joined it."

"These are the times the Timepiece is currently showing, which can only mean that it must have frozen the moment you received your Marks. I'll move it a moment back on your clock, and see how much of a change there is for my time and Yao's."

Arthur channeled the magic, and the times and names shifted.

 _Matthew 12:00:00_

 _Arthur 12:32:11_

 _Yao 1:10:31_

 _Mikkel 11:59:59_

"Hardly any change at all, so it's not a case of a very long reign. We can confirm that the Spades Timepiece froze the moment you got your Mark."

"Uh, Artie, something's wrong there. My name got replaced by Mikkel's, shouldn't it be Berwald's?"

Arthur looked again, and his eyes widened when he noticed what Alfred was seeing.

"Mikkel was still alive when Matthew got his Mark, so your brother got Berwald's Mark instead, making him…. Oh, bloody hell."

"But the Timepiece gave me the King's Sword! Why would it do that?"

"I don't know, Alfred. Whatever the case, it appears that Matthew might be the rightful King of Spades."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _I suppose Aniver22 had a good reason for thinking that Alfred could be a key to all this, but a good amount of it involves what I'm also doing to his brother._**

 ** _Remember back in Chapter 13, when I left that teaser about Matthew possibly being King and you all freaked out? Well, as you can see now, I've had to keep quiet on my reaction to those reviews. I can talk now though, so MWAHAHAHAHAHA!_**


	28. Chapter 28

When Gilbert had returned from Diamonds with Matthew and Lilli, Yao and Emil were already looking through Spade Ledgers while servants were bringing food and drinks to the table. The Hearts group had returned shortly after with Valencia's Ledgers, reporting that Elizaveta had destroyed Kiku's library. As everyone settled in, Arthur and Alfred eventually joined them, and Gilbert noticed they seemed nervous about something.

As Gilbert sipped on his wine, he looked over the large chart that Emil had written out on parchment. The Four Suits had their Royals listed, and the dead were crossed out with the new bearers of their Marks written beside them. Clubs and Spades were untouched as of yet, while Diamonds had many changes. Looking at where Ivan's name was placed beside a crossed-out 'Francis', Gilbert couldn't help but feel like he was overlooking something important.

"I have found a section here about the Absorbing," Yao reported, looking closely at the Ledger he was reading.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Peter said as everyone came to attention, "Let's hear it!"

"Queen Guinevere's notes say that the reign of the Four Suits would end with the Absorbing," Yao transcribed, "When the time came, the Absorbing would allow for the four kingdoms of the Deck to unite under one banner, with one set of Royals. For this to happen, the Intended Royals would have to eliminate the others in their specific rank and take their Marks. Each Mark absorbed would give a Royal access to the other Suit's powers, including the merging of their symbolic weapons."

"In translation, Kings will kill Kings," Peter summarized, "Queens will kill Queens, Jacks will kill Jacks, and Aces will kill Aces."

"That makes perfect sense with what we have seen so far," Emil commented, "All the deaths and Marks have remained within their ranks."

As Emil spoke, Gilbert noticed Matthew was whispering to Lilli, and handing her a piece of paper.

"The merging of powers and symbols matches your dream, Artie," Alfred commented.

"What dreams?" Peter asked.

"The last few nights, I've been having strange dreams that almost seem prophetic," Arthur explained, "The other night, I dreamt of blood and burnt skin, only for Lilli and Antonio to arrive the next morning in their panic. Then last night, I dreamt of a King's Sword, a Queen's Shield, a Jack's Bow and an Ace's Axe. They were adorned with the four colours of the Suits, as if they had merged."

"Looks like your familiarity with magic is useful after all, Arthur," Gilbert said, "Strong Deck Queens are known to be clairvoyant, so I believe you must have seen what we are now discovering. The merging of powers also explains how Elizaveta was using both green and red magics after taking Kiku's Mark."

"I believe Ivan spoke of the access to other Suit powers," Ludwig recalled, "He told me that I was supposed to be the last King in his way. By absorbing Marks from Berwald and Francis first, he was planning to have an advantage over me."

"He would've had three of four Marks that way," Matthew said, "By killing Berwald in his sleep and taking his Mark then, Ivan would've had Spades in a frenzy over there being nobody with a Spade Mark that appeared out of nowhere. While the attention was on Spades, he could then surprise Diamonds with an attack. I still don't know why he wasn't able to absorb Berwald's Mark that night, but it is a huge relief that he didn't."

As Matthew spoke, Gilbert recalled hearing something during the battle.

 _Is it done, Natalya? Three of four?_

"Three of four," Gilbert muttered, slamming his hand against the table, "Natalya!"

"What about Natalya?" Alfred asked, as Gilbert reached and grabbed Emil's chart of the Royals.

"It was just after Natalya killed Lovino and absorbed his Mark," Gilbert elaborated, "Elizaveta asked if Natalya had 'three of four'. She showed us her Mark, and there was a Diamond there with her Club and Heart. However, Antonio was still alive at that point, and Matthew took his Mark later on!"

"How could she have a Diamond Mark, then?" Feliciano asked.

"Lilli is still alive, and she witnessed Antonio's and Vash's Marks being taken, so the only way Natalya could have a Diamond is if she took it from Francis," Gilbert continued, pointing at where Francis's name had been struck out.

"That's impossible," Ludwig said, "She's the Ace of Clubs, so she can only take her Mark from the Ace of Diamonds. Francis is a King, so that shouldn't be able to happen."

"None of us saw who took Francis's Mark," Peter pointed out, "Only the Clubs would know for sure."

"Not just the Clubs," Gilbert said, "I think Antonio knew something about it. I asked them what Elizaveta meant by 'three of four', but Natalya just tried to get Antonio to tell me instead. Whatever they know, he likely figured it out first. Lilli, did he tell you anything about this?"

After a moment without an answer, Gilbert looked over at the Queen of Diamonds. She was frozen in her seat, holding a piece of paper. Her eyes were widened in shock, and her face was pale.

"Lilli, are you okay?" Matthew asked, gently grabbing her wrist to get her attention, "You're pale as a ghost."

"I'm fine," Lilli said, snapping out of her shock, "I found this letter for me in the Diamond Ledgers, it was written by Queen Jeanne. It confirms that Natalya is the only Club who could take Francis's Mark."

* * *

Lilli leafed through one of Juliana's Ledgers, but she hadn't found anything. She reached for her glass of wine and took a sip, observing the silence under which everyone except the Jokers were each reading a Queen Ledger.

"I have found a section here about the Absorbing," Yao reported.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Peter said, "Let's hear it!"

Lilli listened attentively as Yao read from Guinevere's Ledger. If only one Royal of each rank was meant to survive, then it was obvious that Elizaveta wanted it to be her. Taking a glance at Arthur, Lilli realized she likely appeared to be the underdog among the three remaining Queens, but Antonio and Francis had made sure she learned how to use her magic.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Matthew holding a folded piece of paper in front of her.

"Lilli, this has your name on it," Matthew whispered, "It's sealed too."

"A letter?" Lilli questioned, taking the letter and flipping it over. The golden seal was embossed in a style that she hadn't seen in years, and it could only belong to one person.

"Jeanne?" Lilli muttered.

She broke the seal, unfolded the letter, and began to read.

 _My sweet Lilli,_

 _If you are reading this, then I am grateful you lived long enough for Antonio to tell you what the Absorbing is. If he is trying to explain his involvement with this prophecy, allow this letter to serve as my testimony that you should believe what he says. If he didn't make it this far, then allow this to shed the light on the secrets he has guarded all these years._

 _When I was a young Queen, King Ramirez and Ace Miguel had died the same tragic evening. It was a few days later when their replacements presented themselves to the Diamonds court: a farmer named Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, and a merchant named Francis Bonnefoy. The Timepiece gave Francis the King's Sword, and Antonio the Ace's Axe, so Francis became my beloved King and Antonio became our loyal Ace._

 _It was some time later that Antonio told us his family's story, and how it had a Diamond Royal as the root of the bloodline. The Matron Queen, Juliana Carriedo, gave birth to a son before receiving her Mark, and Antonio's family is directly descended from her. While Juliana was Queen, she was heavily involved in assembling the prophecy of the Absorbing, and discovered that one of her own descendants would be the King of Diamonds when the Absorbing began._

 _I was fascinated by Antonio's story, and decided that I could help his family with research on the Absorbing. I eventually found Juliana's ledgers and discovered something that no living Carriedo knew. For reasons unknown, without even telling her own son that she was doing this, Juliana put a spell on the Diamond Timepiece for when this Carriedo King and his Bonnefoy Ace would have their Marks tested together. She made it so that this Carriedo King would receive the Ace's Axe instead of his rightful King's Sword, disguising him as an Ace serving the decoy Bonnefoy King._

 _The moment I saw this, I marshalled Antonio, Francis and Lars to the Timepiece, and made it show all four times in numerical format. Putting it back to the moment where Francis got his Mark, we saw that Ramirez was still alive at that moment, which could only mean that Francis replaced Miguel as the Ace of Diamonds. This proved that, despite originally receiving the Ace's Axe, Antonio was the rightful King._

 _We realized that this foreknowledge was incredibly dangerous, so Antonio and Francis agreed to keep fooling the world in their swapped places. Although the Deck normally wouldn't recognize a marriage between an Ace and a Queen, having Francis as a false King allowed us to take advantage of the rules. Lars took our secrets to the grave, and we had yet to tell Vash our secrets when I saw your ankle. I figured out very quickly that you would also be involved in the Absorbing, and that my reign as Queen would soon end, so I instructed Antonio to protect you at all costs._

 _I apologize for our deceptions over the years, and for any pain the truth may cause. Even when you were young, I could tell that you would one day be a strong woman. I wish for your survival of the Absorbing, as well as for the peace and happiness you deserve._

 _Take care, my sweet flower._

 _Jeanne_

Lilli stared at the letter in shock, and read it again to confirm what it said. All that time, Antonio had been the true King of Diamonds?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Gilbert saying her name.

"Lilli is still alive, and she witnessed Antonio's and Vash's Marks being taken, so the only way Natalya could have a Diamond is if she took it from Francis."

"That's impossible," Lilli heard Ludwig reply, "She's the Ace of Clubs, so she can only take her Mark from the Ace of Diamonds. Francis is a King, so that shouldn't be able to happen."

After taking a quick look at the others arguing, Lilli looked at the letter again.

If Francis was indeed the Ace, then Ivan wouldn't be able to take his Diamond Mark. Natalya would've taken it instead, and with Lovino's death, that would give her three of four Ace Marks. Also, if Antonio was the rightful King of Diamonds, and Matthew took his Mark, that would mean that Matthew is…

"Lilli, are you okay?" Matthew asked, gently grabbing her wrist to get her attention, "You're pale as a ghost."

"I'm fine," Lilli said, snapping out of her shock and noticing everyone looking at her, "I found this letter for me in the Diamond Ledgers, it was written by Queen Jeanne. It confirms that Natalya is the only Club who could take Francis's Mark."

"Jeanne has been dead for 3 years," Ludwig pointed out, "How could she possibly have known who would take Francis's Mark?"

"She didn't know it would be a Club, but her story confirms that it could only be an Ace," Lilli explained, pulling over the Diamond Ledger that Matthew had been reading.

"But the Ledgers say that an Ace cannot absorb a King's Mark," Arthur repeated, "What does Jeanne say that contradicts this?"

As Arthur spoke, Lilli found the Ledger sections she was looking for, and a quick scan confirmed what Jeanne had written in the letter.

"It's not just what Jeanne said, it's what is written in these Ledgers," Lilli elaborated, "It says right here that a descendant of Queen Juliana would be the King of Diamonds when the Absorbing began."

"It says in the front of these ledgers that Juliana was a Carriedo," Gilbert added on, a bit of concern in his tone, "Same as Antonio."

"There's more," Lilli continued, "Juliana put a spell on the Timepiece so that this Carriedo King would receive the Ace's Axe, while the rightful Bonnefoy Ace received the King's Sword."

"So, Francis was actually the Ace of Diamonds all those years, while Antonio was the rightful King?" Yao asked hesitantly.

"Yes, that is correct," Lilli said, "Jeanne even checked the Diamond Timepiece to confirm it. King Ramirez was still alive when Francis received his Diamond Mark from Ace Miguel."

The group froze in shock for a moment.

"Assuming that all this is true, it still doesn't make sense," Ludwig said, "If Antonio was the rightful King of Diamonds, then how was Matthew able to take his Mark?"

"That's a good question," Matthew said, "I'm an Ace, I shouldn't be able to take a King's Mark."

"You might be able to, actually."

Lilli looked to the right towards the voice, seeing Arthur pull Guinevere's Ledger away from Yao and shuffling through the pages.

"Arthur, what are you looking for?" Yao asked.

"Lilli, could you repeat that bit about Ace Miguel?" Arthur asked.

"Jeanne made the Diamonds Timepiece show the times of all four Royals at the moment Francis received his Mark," Lilli explained, "King Ramirez was still alive, which means that Francis couldn't have taken his Mark."

She was interrupted by a thud, and saw that Alfred had slammed his head against the table.

"You've got to be kidding me," he groaned.

"What are you two talking about?" Matthew asked, and Lilli could sense the uneasy feeling in his tone.  
"When you were gone, Alfred and I checked the Spade Timepiece," Arthur elaborated, "It had frozen at the moment you boys both had your Marks. Moving it back one moment, Alfred's name was replaced with Mikkel, making him the Ace. Matthew, you're the rightful King of Spades."

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _Obviously, the reveal of one King was necessary to confirm the other. Matthew absorbing Antonio's Mark would normally look like Aces making the transaction, but the flaw to this logic is Natalya taking the Mark from Francis, the rightful Ace of Diamonds._**

 ** _Also, if anyone cared to re-read Kiku's conversation with Antonio in Chapter 18, they would've noticed that Kiku suspected at least one Carriedo of being shrouded in lies. Knowing how the Matron Queen was connected to the Carriedo King prophecy, Kiku was aware that, if the Absorbing was starting now, then either Queen Juliana didn't tell the truth about the Carriedo King, someone else in all those generations of the Carriedo family made up the story, or Antonio himself was being the dirty rotten liar._**

 ** _I'm not sure if it's obvious, but I'm been waiting for these reveals for a while now. More is to be revealed in the next couple chapters :)_**


	29. Chapter 29

_"Matthew, you're the rightful King of Spades."_

Matthew froze in his spot when he heard Arthur say that. All those months believing that he was the Ace of Spades, only to find out he was the rightful King all along.

Matthew snapped out of his shock when he saw Alfred lift his head off the table and look at him.

"Al?" Matthew asked, hesitantly, "Is it true?"

"It's true, Mattie," Alfred admitted gloomily, "You got your Mark just before I did, and Berwald died just before Mikkel."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Alfred," Yao reassured, "You received the King's Sword, after all. I doubt the Timepiece would allow such a switch if you weren't able to handle the strange mission."

"We still have a problem," Ludwig interrupted, "We have no proof that this is all true. The Ledgers may say these things, but what if they are misleading us?"

"There is a way to test it," Lilli argued, "Guinevere's Ledger says that a Royal who takes the Mark of another Royal in their rank can summon the symbol of the other Suit. If Antonio was the rightful King of Diamonds, then Matthew should be able to summon the Diamond Sword."

Matthew stood from his chair, holding onto it with his left hand while summoning magic in his right. He noticed that he had access to two weapons from Spades and another from Diamonds. Closing his eyes, Matthew focused on the magic, commanding the Diamonds and Spades influences to work together. He soon felt something materialize in his hands, and the gasps from everyone else told him to open his eyes and look.

It was the Spade Sword, but its design was merged with that of the Diamond Sword. The hilt was adorned with both blue and orange.

"It's like the Sword I saw in my dream," Arthur said, "Of course, with only two of the Suit colours so far."

"It's beautiful," Matthew heard Lilli mutter, before they noticed a glow of blue magic coming from where Alfred was sitting.

"What can you feel, Alfred?" Matthew asked.

"You've blocked off my access to the Sword," Alfred replied, "But I can feel the Axe."

"This would also explain something else," Gilbert added on, "During the fight in Hearts, Antonio used regular axes, refusing to summon a Diamond weapon. If Natalya took Francis's Mark, she would have taken control of the Diamond Axe, and Antonio would end up with the Diamond Sword if he tried to summon the Axe. It's possible that the Timepiece switch allowed Antonio and Francis to exchange use of the Sword and Axe, until such a time as one of their Marks was taken. I would suspect that Matthew and Alfred here can do the same."

"I suppose that confirms it, then," Ludwig stated, "Matthew is the King of Spades and Diamonds, while Alfred is the Ace of Spades."

"This would also confirm that Natalya has three Ace Marks and Ivan only has one King Mark," Yao added on.

"Antonio mentioned something about that," Matthew said, "Ivan was about to chop my head off in Hearts, when Antonio said that he not only knew the most about the Absorbing, he also knew exactly how many Marks Ivan had. Antonio used that argument to persuade Ivan to kill him instead of me."

"Why would Antonio say that?" Feliciano questioned.

"Antonio thought he was expendable," Gilbert continued, "For some reason, even though he was the rightful King of Diamonds and knew the most about the Absorbing, he insisted that Matthew and Ludwig were more important to rescue than him. He must have suspected that one of you would be heavily involved in the Absorbing."

"They're not the only ones Antonio was protecting," Lilli said, "Jeanne's letter says she suspected that I would be involved in the Absorbing, so she instructed Antonio to protect me at all costs. When we were escaping, Francis stayed behind to buy us time, mentioning a 'Code Juliana'. They spoke of how they needed to get me out of there, and how Francis would fulfill his duty to Antonio."

"A emergency plan, named after the Queen who wrote about the Absorbing," Yao summarized, "It sounds like Antonio and Francis knew to prepare for such a situation. And if Roderich was using magic, while the other Clubs were acting with hostility, I can see why they would resort to such measures. The question is, how would they know that Lilli would be involved?"

As the group paused for a second, Matthew remembered something he had seen earlier that day.

"The Diamond Timepiece," Matthew said, "Antonio and Francis must have looked at it together at some point during the three years that Lilli has been Queen so far. They would have seen what we saw today, and considering that the Absorbing was supposed to start during Antonio's reign, they put two and two together."

"What did the Timepiece show?" Gilbert asked.

"It froze the moment I received my Mark," Lilli elaborated, "Even to this day, it still shows my time as such. Putting it back a single moment moves the Queen's time to Jeanne's dying moment. All four times are frozen at that moment, so it still shows Vash, Francis and Antonio as alive, even though they are dead and their Marks have been absorbed."

"We saw something similar in Hearts, although I'm not sure how you got your Timepiece to show the times in numerical format," Ludwig added on, "The Hearts Timepiece is showing Feliciano's time as at the twelve. Both my time and Kiku's are still showing the same as when Feliciano and Lovino received their Marks five years ago. If anything, Kiku's time should have struck twelve at some point in the last couple months."

"Had either of you seen the Hearts Timepiece at any point in the last five years?" Peter asked.

"Neither of us had, not since Feliciano and Lovino had their Marks tested," Ludwig replied, "I don't know if Kiku had seen it. If he had, then he must have taken Lovino there with him."

"I think they did," Feliciano muttered, staring at the Hearts Ledger in front of him, "And I think I figured out what they would keep hidden from Antonio."

"You found the Absorbing in Valencia's Ledger?" Yao asked, "What does it say?"

"It speaks of the Intended, and how to identify them," Feliciano transcribed, "With the Absorbing uniting the four Suits under one banner, there are specific Royals that are destined to have all four Marks of their ranks. The Intended King, Queen, Jack and Ace would have the intelligence, bravery, kindness and humility needed to unite the four kingdoms in peace and harmony. Should a non-Intended take the place of an Intended, they would bring discord among the kingdoms, and the desired peace and harmony would not be achieved to its fullest extent. Once the Absorbing is complete, these Royals will live as immortals and rule the Deck until they are no longer needed."

"So, the four Intended Royals are meant to survive and become immortal?" Arthur summarized, "How do we identify them?"

"This is the part that scares me," Feliciano continued, "The Intended Royals would be born with imprints of their future Royal Marks on their skin. They would be hardly noticeable from a distance, but the faint outline would be seen if close enough. They would turn their Royal colour if they came in proximity with a symbol of their Suit. When the Intended officially becomes a Royal, the imprint will turn into a full Mark, and the Suit's Timepiece would freeze at that moment. The Absorbing will begin the moment that all four Suit Timepieces had frozen."

Matthew froze in shock as he considered what Feliciano had said. If the Spade Timepiece was supposed to freeze the moment that an Intended received their full Mark, then how could he and Alfred both have had imprints?

"This room is way too quiet."

Matthew snapped out of his shock at the sound of Ludwig's voice and looked around. All the other Spades were also in shock, as were Lilli and Feliciano.

"I agree," Gilbert said, also looking around, "I think some people need to talk. Who wants to start?"

"I had a Diamond imprint on my ankle," Lilli admitted, "Jeanne saw it a few months after Vash became the Jack of Diamonds. She said in her letter that she suspected I would be important because of this. When she died during our visit to Spades, Antonio asked me to check my ankle, and we found it had turned into a full Diamond Mark."

"That would make Lilli our Intended Queen," Peter accepted, "Who's next?"

"Lovino knew of mine," Feliciano revealed, ignoring the suddenly shocked expression on Ludwig's face, "We were surprised when he also got a Heart Mark, as he never had an imprint like I did. I'd say he must have told Kiku about my Mark when they saw the frozen Heart Timepiece. They probably realized they couldn't tell Antonio that they were protecting an Intended."

"During the attack yesterday, Lovino insisted that you be rescued," Gilbert supplemented, "When I mentioned the Absorbing, they must have known that you would be in serious danger."

"We have our Intended Jack as well, then," Peter concurred, "Who wants to speak on behalf of Spades?"

"I can," Alfred volunteered hesitantly, "Matthew and I were both born with imprints of Spade Marks. We were seven years old, living on the streets, and got arrested for stealing bread. Mikkel discovered our imprints when punishing us in the dungeons, and showed us to Berwald and the others. Tino officially adopted us, and they trained us for our likely futures as Spades royalty."

"So they did know you were Royals before you got your Marks," Ludwig tested.

"Yes, we knew," Emil confirmed, "They were prepared for whatever Royal rank they would each have. We even checked to see if either of them had become the Jack or Queen when Lukas and Tino died. We were worried that the other Suits would punish us if they knew we were training future Royals, so we hid them for 12 years."

"Wait a second," Gilbert interrupted, "How can Spades have two Intendeds?"

"That's what I'm wondering," Matthew said, "Arthur said that the Timepiece froze when Alfred got his Mark. If the Timepiece was able to keep going after I got mine, then why would I also have an imprint?"

"If Alfred is an Intended and Matthew is not, then we have another problem," Peter reported, "Assuming that all four Suits were to be represented among the Intended, the Clubs representative would be Natalya, their newest Royal. However, if Alfred is the Ace of Spades as we determined earlier, that would give us two Intended Aces and no Intended King."

"It says here that there is meant to be a Suit with no Intended Royals," Feliciano countered, reading Valencia's Ledgers again, "When the Absorbing takes shape, one of the four Suits will discover that they have no Intended, and that they are not meant to survive. Hungry for power and envious of the fate of the Intended, the Royals of this Suit will try to usurp the Intendeds. Should an Usurper succeed in taking an Intended's place, they would lead the anarchy and rebellion against the Intended, forcing the Deck into war, chaos and ruin."

"That sounds a lot like a group of Club Royals that we know all too well," Arthur commented, "And if one of the Suits has no Intendeds, then one of the others must have a second Intended. Spades fits the bill with both Matthew and Alfred having imprints, and their Marks appeared close enough together for the Spade Timepiece to freeze with both their times directly at the 12."

"I say that's enough to confirm it then," Peter stated, "King Matthew, Queen Lilli, Jack Feliciano and Ace Alfred are the Intended Royals, leaving Clubs as the Usurping Suit."

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _And now you know what the imprints were all about! Sorry about the information overload in these two chapters, I was planning to spread it out a bit more, but I took out the intermission scene._**

 ** _What Feliciano is saying about Lovino and Kiku knowing about the Absorbing ties into a deleted scene between Chapters 18 and 19. When Kiku took Lovino to inspect the Hearts Timepiece and found it frozen, they discovered that Feliciano was an Intended as discussed in Valencia's ledger. They also had no guarantee that Antonio was not an Usurper, even if he was possibly the foretold descendant of the Matron Queen. Lovino then hid the ledgers with Feliciano, and sent Giovanni to spy on Antonio in Diamonds._**


	30. Chapter 30

_"King Matthew, Queen Lilli, Jack Feliciano and Ace Alfred are the Intended, leaving Clubs as the Usurping Suit."_

Yao closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on what they had learned. Matthew, Lilli, Feliciano and Alfred were meant to unite the Deck in peace and harmony, but would have to defeat the usurping Clubs first. The only way the four Intended could take their place as rulers of the Deck is to take the Marks of all four Suits.

And there was only one way to take the Marks.

"Peter," Yao asked, breaking the silence in the room, "If the Intendeds are meant to take all the Marks, does that mean that the Royals who are not Intended have to die?"

One by one, every pair in the eyes in the room looked in his direction in revelation, and Yao realized what he had just done.

"Yao is right," Gilbert muttered, "There can only be one King, one Queen, one Jack and one Ace."

"In other words, Matthew has to kill both myself and Ivan to take our Marks," Ludwig recapped.

"It appears so," Matthew concurred, "I'm sorry, Ludwig."

"Really? You're sorry?" Ludwig snapped, "Are you going to be apologizing when you try to kill me?"

"Would you rather let Ivan kill you?" Matthew retorted, "I'd actually give you a say in how you die, I doubt he would give the same courtesy."

"Perhaps I should let him have my Mark," Ludwig taunted, "You might actually stand a chance if you used the merged power of three Suits against one."

"Ludwig, Matthew, please stop this," Lilli intervened, "You are acting childish."

"Speaking of children, Lilli," Arthur interjected, "How exactly do you plan on handling Elizaveta and her immense control of magic?"

"Do not doubt my power," Lilli warned, "The magic I can use is stronger than you realize."

"The Kirklands have worked with magic for generations," Arthur shot back, "Do you actually think you're stronger that a Kirkland Queen?"

"Surely an Intended Diamond Queen is going to be stronger," Lilli cautioned, "Strong enough to handle both you and Elizaveta if necessary."

"Lilli, I forbid you from killing Arthur," Alfred interfered.

"Look who's talking," Ludwig fired at Alfred, "Natalya already has three Marks, you should be more concerned about your own survival."

As the arguments spiraled out of control, Yao rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Trying his best to ignore the loud yelling around him, he tried to think of anything they missed. They had already found the interesting bits about the Absorbing in the three Ledgers, but it still felt like there were too many holes in the story.

A light went off in Yao's head. They only had the Queen Ledgers of three Suits.

As Yao looked back down, almost everyone was standing from their chairs as they shouted across the tables. Matthew and Ludwig were in a yelling match, while Lilli and Arthur had their own spat. Alfred was helping Arthur, while Feliciano was hanging onto Ludwig's arm and begging them to stop. The Jokers were sitting in their chairs with their feet propped up on the table. Peter was rolling his eyes at the fights, while Gilbert looked like he might doze off any second. Ledgers were spread across the table, and Yao realized he had something else to check on.

" **Peter, can you hear me through all this racket?** " Yao thought.

Peter suddenly had a surprised look on his face, before looking directly at Yao.

" **S** **ure can, what's up?** "

" **Didn't you say something about Elizaveta wanting to burn all the Diamond and Heart Queen Ledgers?** "

" **Sure did, she destroyed Kiku's library, just like Lilli's. Why do you ask?** "

" **I think it might have been attempted sabotage. They somehow knew that we would have to consult the Ledgers to find out about the Absorbing, so they tried to destroy the information. We just got lucky, since Juliana's and Valencia's Ledgers were not where they were supposed to be.** "

Peter flashed a smile, and Yao thought he noticed a chuckle as well.

"A **n interesting idea, but riddle me this. When eavesdropping on the Clubs carriage, Gilbert heard Elizaveta say that she needed to find Valencia's Ledgers. She still burned the other Ledgers, but she did not find what she was looking for. Did she only intend to hide them from us, or did Clubs need to read what Valencia wrote?** "

Yao pondered it for a moment. It was certainly possible that the Club Queen's Ledgers had enough information for them to kickstart the Absorbing, but it was missing some of the details the other Suits received. What Matthew and Ludwig shared about Ivan confirmed that the Club King knew which order would be best for killing the other Kings, but he wasn't able to absorb Berwald's Mark, while Francis turned out to be an Ace all along.

Yao frowned when he realized something else. If the Absorbing was to start when the last Timepiece froze, then Mikkel's death was the trigger for it. All within the one moment, Natalya killed Mikkel, Alfred received Mikkel's Mark, the Spade Timepiece froze, and the Absorbing began. Did Ivan and Natalya know they wouldn't be able to take Berwald's and Mikkel's Marks?

Knowing what their next topic of discussion should be, Yao looked to see that the others were still arguing. He stood from his chair with a smirk, and summoned his Spade magic. As his Bow appeared, he nocked an arrow and cast an enchantment on it.

" **Yao, what are you doing?** " Yao heard Peter's voice echo in his head as he aimed the Bow at the ceiling, specifically at the joint the crystal chandelier was hanging from.

" **Breaking up the fights, of course** ," Yao replied, before letting the arrow loose.

The arrow flew up past the crystals and hit the joint, but he magic infused it so that it wasn't destroyed. However, the enchantment still made the joint lose its grip, making the chandelier fall onto the table. Yao watched in amusement as the other Royals shrieked and recoiled from the table in shock, attempting to avoid being hit by any flyaway crystals. Not that any would fly, as Yao's enchantment made sure that the chandelier would not lose a single shard. Peter was laughing incredibly hard, while Gilbert had been woken from his light nap.

"Yao, that made me day!" Peter managed to get out breathlessly.

"Dude, what was that for?" Alfred whined.

"That was to get you all to stop your petty quarreling," Yao defended, taking his seat again, "And now that you have stopped, we can continue the meeting with our next topic."

The others grumbled as they sat back down, and the room became quiet as they looked at Yao expectantly.

"Now, there is obviously some issues between the Intendeds and non-Intendeds that need resolution, but we should consider the Suit that is not in attendance," Yao explained, "We have noticed that Clubs has managed to learn much about the Absorbing without access to any of the present Queen Ledgers, which means their only resource has been the Ledgers of whichever Club Queen was present for the creation of the prophecy."

"That would be Queen Svetlana, by the way," Peter added.

"Thank you, Peter," Yao continued, "From what we have seen, Svetlana must have told them quite a bit about the Absorbing, especially with how it would work. However, with Ivan's unsuccessful attempts at absorbing Marks from Berwald and Francis, we can confirm that Svetlana could not tell them everything. That's why Elizaveta would go after the Ledgers of Juliana and Valencia."

"If that is the case, then why did she burn down my study?" Lilli asked.

"Along with Kiku's?" Ludwig added.

"She likely wanted to mislead us," Peter justified, "Take the Ledgers she needs, and burn the others. Ideally, with all the other Queen Ledgers burned away, we would believe that Juliana's and Valencia's were destroyed as well, while they were actually being used for the benefit of Clubs alone. While we would run amuck with no idea what to do, Clubs would keep taking advantage of the situation."

"That leads into my next point," Yao went on, "With the Clubs as the Usurpers of the Absorbing, we need to find out what they know. If every Suit has something different to say, then we do not have the full picture here."

"A good point, but there's a problem with that," Gilbert spoke up, "Queen Svetlana's Ledgers could only possibly be in one place, deep in the Queen's study at the Clubs castle. The Clubs are there right now, and Elizaveta is likely reading them herself to help plan their next move. Someone will have to sneak into the Club Queen's study, find the Ledgers, and get out of there alive."

"Who exactly would we send, then?" Feliciano asked, "We can't risk any Intendeds going, since the Club Royals could take their Marks."

"And sending a non-Intended is an improvement on that?" Arthur snapped, "That is Queen Elizaveta's study we'd be breaking into. It doesn't matter who we send, she'd immediately have any intruders executed, and any Marks accessible would be taken!"

Several Royals all started talking at once, and Yao slammed his head against the table as the quarreling resumed.

" **The chandelier trick would be useful now, why did you have to use it early?** "

As Gilbert's voice echoed in his mind, Yao lifted his head and saw that the light from outside was starting to dim. Realizing it would almost be dinnertime, and that the meeting was unlikely to resume, Yao decided that it should wrap up.

" **Peter, Gilbert, I think we're done for the day** ," Yao thought, " **Perhaps you two could teleport a couple of the trouble-makers out of here while I dismiss the others?** "

" **Good idea** ," Peter agreed, " **I'll take Arthur to his study. Gilbert, take care of Ludwig.** "

Within a moment, the two Jokers had teleported to the named Royals, grabbed them, and made them disappear. The Intendeds looked around in surprise.

"The Jokers have taken Arthur and Ludwig to their rooms," Yao explained, "It was obvious that nothing else would get done today, so we'll end the meeting here. Everyone should get some rest and think this all through. Perhaps tomorrow, we will all be level-headed enough to discuss our next move without wanting to choke each other."

The others muttered to themselves as Alfred left the room by one of the side entrances, while Matthew took Lilli through another door.

"I will tell the housekeeper that we will all take our meals in separate rooms," Emil said as he also left the room, leaving Yao alone with Feliciano.

"What about you, Yao?" Feliciano asked, "Are you really okay with all this?"

"I cannot blame you for my fate, Feliciano," Yao answered, "If it's in the best interest of the Deck to have you as the surviving Jack, then I'd rather willingly give you my Mark then have Roderich take it by force."

"I'm glad to hear that," Feliciano said, "Perhaps, if we work together to take down Roderich, we can find a way for you to pass on peacefully afterwards. Roderich is rather clever, but maybe we can outwit him."

"That sounds good to me," Yao agreed, "Let's just hope that these Kings and Queens can also find a way to cooperate."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Sorry if Yao is a bit OOC, but I really need a voice of reason among the non-Intendeds. As you're seeing now, and will see for a few more chapters, Arthur and Ludwig aren't fond of what fate has in store for them._**


	31. Chapter 31

Lilli was tossing and turning in her bed, but couldn't get comfortable whatever she tried. As she stared at the ceiling, she thought of what she used to do when this would happen back in Diamonds, and remembered that Antonio was no longer around to help calm her down.

Giving a huff, she climbed out of bed and put on a robe atop her nightgown, before walking out onto her balcony. The sky was clear, and the moon was shining brightly on the gardens she was overlooking. Noticing a nearby maple tree, Lilli watched as the wind gently blew off the fading leaves. One falling leaf hit a gust of wind, and flew towards her. As she caught it, Lilli noticed it was large enough to cover the palms of both her hands. It had turned a lovely dark orange, and made a lovely crunching sound when Lilli took a piece off of it.

Lilli had to admit, these larger-leaved maples sure gave the trees in Diamonds some competition for which would make the more beautiful autumn.

Turning her head, she took a look at the castle itself. A little way over on another balcony, she saw the door open and Matthew walk out. He leaned out against the railing, before looking in Lilli's direction and giving her a smile. As Lilli smiled back, she thought of something she had once read and decided to try it.

" **Matthew, can you hear me?** "

Lilli giggled as Matthew reacted to suddenly hearing her, then she heard a reply.

" **I thought telepathy was a Joker's ability, not a Queen's.** "

 **"I once read that Deck Queens who are especially strong have access to psychic powers, including telepathy. While Spades and Hearts are gifted with foresight, Clubs and Diamonds can read minds. I figured the Intended Queen would be strong enough to speak telepathically with the Intended King.** "

" **I think Arthur might have that foresight, considering the dreams he's describing to my brother lately.** "

" **It sounds very possible. Anyways, why are you still awake?** "

" **I couldn't fall asleep, so many things on my mind. How about you, Lilli?** "

" **The same thing. I'd normally visit Antonio and talk it out with him, but that can't happen ever again now.** "

" **You can talk to me, if you'd like. I'm a great listener, Arthur and Yao can vouch for that.** "

" **That's actually a good idea, Matthew. I'll be there in a couple minutes**."

" **I'll be waiting.** "

With a smile on her face, Lilli left her balcony and shut the outside doors. Making sure her robe was securely tied around her, she slipped on some slippers and quietly left her room. The slippers were soft enough to mask her steps as she walked down the deserted hallways, and she kept her eyes open in case anyone were to see her. It didn't take too long to reach the right hallway, and Matthew left the door open for her to slip through. She stood by the door and looked into the room.

"No need to knock, come on in," Matthew said, "I had the servant bring me tea a while ago, it's still warm. Would you like some?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," Lilli replied as she entered and watched Matthew pour two cups of tea. "Did they know you were having company? That's a large pot of tea for one person."

"The servants have gotten used to giving us more than enough tea. Arthur and Yao almost live off of it, and I quite like it too. Every so often, we'll visit each other in the evenings to talk, and we'll drink tea."

"Antonio and Francis would do something similar. They didn't have tea, though, they just kept a bottle of wine handy."

Matthew passed Lilli a teacup.

"Would you like to stand on the balcony, or stay inside and sit on the sofa?"

"The balcony, please. Those maples are lovely to look at."

Matthew led her out onto the balcony, and they stood at the railing and sipped on their teas.

"Is this something you did often with Antonio?"

"Once in a while. When I couldn't relax, he'd help me wind down. Whether we simply read books, gazed at the stars, or just talked for an hour or so, Antonio was wonderful to spend time with. He had always been very dear to me, and I was always comfortable around him."

"It sounds like you were very close to Antonio. Was it the same with Francis and Vash?"

"Vash was a very protective older brother. He would make sure nothing every happened to me, and that I would never want for anything. Francis was like another older brother, still protective but offering me ways to explore the world and learn new things. He used to be the life of the party, but that changed when he lost Jeanne. Antonio was different, he was more of a very dear friend and companion than a brother."

"Francis and Jeanne were married, weren't they?"

"Yes, and they lived gloriously in the Deck's spotlight. The two of them were the ultimate social butterflies, able to charm anyone with hardly any effort. Francis still had that spark afterwards, and he put on the airs of being happy around everyone else, but Antonio and I could see the change when it happened. Jeanne was the love of his life, perhaps even the reason he truly enjoyed his portrayal as a King. He still served the role after she was gone, but it seemed as though he had taken a step back, more maintaining order on Antonio's behalf instead of truly leading the kingdom. With Jeanne as Queen, Francis acted much more like a King, while Antonio was a loyal Ace. With me as the Queen, it is almost like they switched. Antonio acted as if he was my King, and Francis was protective of us like an Ace would be. I suppose, in a way, Juliana's alteration of the Diamond Timepiece affected those dynamics."

"That is quite interesting, if you look at it that way. I wonder if a similar thing could happen in Spades. My brother was enchanted when he first saw Arthur, and was ecstatic when he got to be King with Arthur as his Queen. But now that we know Alfred is the Intended Ace while Arthur is not meant to survive, I worry that losing Arthur would break Alfred's heart."

"Ah, so that's why Alfred wasn't happy in the meeting today. I agree, knowing that it will happen without knowing when certainly makes it harder for them. Jeanne's death was foreseen by the Timepiece, so at least Francis knew how long he would get to be with her. For all we know, Arthur could die at any time."

"I suppose, in a way, it is better not to know when the death of your loved one will be. It may have more stress and worry, but it would encourage you to make every moment with them worthwhile."

Lilli placed her teacup on the railing and looked at Matthew, noticing he was looking into the distance, as if deep in thought.

"You say that as if you've lost someone, Matthew."

Matthew gave a small smile as he looked back at her.

"I have lost family, both by blood and by adoption. My parents died in the plague, so Alfred and I were living poor on the streets. Of course, we then crossed paths with Mikkel, and Tino adopted us, so we had another family. Even though the Timepiece foretold their deaths, they never told us how much time they had left. I'm certain Emil would have seen to what extent they cherished that time we all had together. It was hard to lose each one of them in turn, and we watched as our family disappeared twice."

"I was too young to really remember my parents. My mother died in childbirth, and our father left us in the care of a friend when he went off to sea and never returned. The friend helped Vash raise me until he got his Mark, then we left the shop and moved to the Diamonds castle. Antonio, Francis and Jeanne became our new family, but now everyone is gone and I'm alone."

As Lilli looked out at the maple trees, she heard Matthew's teacup being set on the railing, before feeling his hand hold hers. She took a look at his hand overlapping hers, before turning to look at him in the eyes.

"I'm here for you, Lilli, you don't have to be alone."

"Thank you, Matthew. I really appreciate your company."

Matthew smiled and looked away for a moment, and Lilli thought she saw a hint of a blush on his cheek before he turned back to her.

"I should be thanking you, Lilli, your company is quite lovely as well."

Lilli gave him a smile, and turned away to look at the maples while trying to will away the blush forming on her cheek. She didn't realize that Matthew was quite the charmer, and the fact that he was handsome and an absolute sweetheart certainly wasn't helping.

Lilli deadpanned. Matthew could flirt like Francis.

She turned back to him with a straight face and a raised eyebrow, and smirked a little when she saw Matthew's reaction to her changed expression.

"Tell me, Matthew, when did Francis get the chance to teach you how to flirt?"

Matthew laughed.

"He never got the chance. The only time I really ever got to talk to him was at the coronation ball, and that was mostly spent dancing with you."

Lilli giggled.

"How many potential paramours did I keep you away from that night?"

"Why Lilli, aren't you a tease? For the record, not a single paramour. If anything, I think I am occasionally getting hit on. Sometimes it is just in good fun, other times it is just downright creepy. Nonetheless, I've never let anything go far. There's been a very good distraction to keep me responsible."

"A distraction, Matthew?"

Matthew's chuckle sounded to Lilli like it had a very nervous undertone, and the blush on his face was going very red.

"Yes, a distraction. A beautiful girl with a Diamond Mark that I would've never been allowed to be with, had the Absorbing not intervened and made us the Intended King and Queen."

Lilli could feel the blush on her own face getting even worse. She knew she was attracted to him, and that he was a perfect gentleman, but she didn't ever consider that Matthew might like her in return.

"To be completely honest, Matthew, that girl with a Diamond Mark may have been unable to keep her own eyes off a very handsome young man with a Spade Mark who once protected her from deadly assassins."

Lilli looked away for a moment to collect her breath, before turning back to face Matthew. She noticed that he had moved closer to her during that moment, as their faces were now only a few inches apart. Lilli could feel her heart racing as they stood still, with his arm now around her waist.

"Lilli, is this okay?"

She took a couple more breathes before allowing herself to notice that Matthew was just as nervous as she was. She eached her hand to his face and gently guided him forward, bringing their lips together. The kiss was electric, and Lilli couldn't help but allow Matthew to continue it.

A small flurry of maple leaves flew by, unnoticed by the couple sharing their first kiss in the moon-lit night.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _My goodness, why on earth did I convince myself that this fanfiction should have romance? As much as I said the very first chapters were hard to write, this one is taking the cake. I've already got my gameplans for the next chapter, so that should go a lot smoother, then we're back into a bit more action._**

 ** _And to think, I want to write another fanfic after this one that is ENTIRELY centered on romance..._**


	32. Chapter 32

Arthur shot up into a sitting position, gasping deeply for air. That was the fifth time that night where he had been woken by the same dream.

Well, perhaps more of a nightmare than a dream. He saw himself somewhere in the Clubs castle, surrounded by books. He was fighting Elizaveta, with swirls of red, green, and blue magic firing in multiple directions. At the climax of the fight, a shot of red magic hits his hand and impairs his ability to cast magic. As he realizes he can't fight back, a burst of green magic is heading for him, and he didn't have time to dodge.

Arthur would wake up just as the blast would hit his chest, breathless and in a cold sweat. Now, as he sat there after yet another repeat of the dream, he was certain it was more than just an overactive imagination or a stressed subconscious. It was the Queen's foresight again, and Arthur had a very bad feeling about where this dream chose to cut off. Why would he dream of what looked like a possible death, without seeing for sure how the blast of magic would hurt him?

Confirming that he was unlikely to fall back asleep anytime soon, Arthur pushed the covers off his legs and climbed out of the bed, gently enough to not jostle Alfred awake with his movements. He picked up his robe from the floor and wrapped himself in it while putting on his slippers. Making as little sound as possible, Arthur left the room and strolled through the empty castle hallways.

As he turned towards the meeting room, he nearly bumped into one of the servants sweeping the floor.

"Forgive me, your Majesty," Angelique said, giving a small curtsy, "I wasn't expecting anyone to be awake at this hour."

"It's quite alright, Angelique," Arthur replied, "I didn't suspect it either. Why are you cleaning at this hour?"

"I'm on the night shift, your Majesty, which means I clean the castle when I'm not called for. If I may ask, your Majesty, why aren't you in bed? Do you need anything?"

"I'm just having trouble sleeping, a bad dream is keeping me awake."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps you would like some tea to help you relax? We just received a fresh supply of chamomile today."

"That would be lovely, Angelique. I will have it in the meeting room."

"I will have it there for you shortly, your Majesty."

As Angelique scuttled off towards the kitchen, Arthur continued down the hallway to the doors of the meeting room. As he went through the open entrance, he saw the tables covered in Ledgers and parchment, although with the food and wine from earlier cleaned away. After an unfortunate incident following Arthur's coronation as Queen, the servants quickly learned to leave each sheet of parchment where it was. A poor girl had placed all of Arthur's papers into a pile while cleaning his desk, making him thoroughly confused the following day.

Arthur sat in the same chair as earlier, looking across the table, and considered the situation. He had foreseen the burnt Marks and the merged symbols of each rank before they became relevant to him. The way they discovered what they now know was by reading these Queen Ledgers, written hundreds of years ago by four of the stronger Queens the Deck would ever see.

 _Strong Deck Queens are known to be clairvoyant, so I believe you must have seen what we are now discovering..._

Arthur's eyes widened as he remembered Gilbert's words. The only way the Four Queens could have known so much about the Absorbing is if they had enough psychic powers to foresee it. If that was the case, then at least one of these Queens might have experienced the types of dreams he was having.

Arthur bolted out of his chair and grabbed the Diamond and Heart Ledgers, bringing them to his end of the table with the Spade ones. He laid each one open, before summoning a spell to search through them for key words.

"Foresight…. prophetic dreams….. psychic powers….." Arthur muttered as the magic shuffled through the pages of all the Ledgers. Suddenly, when one of the Ledgers stopped at a particular page, it sent out its own burst of energy that immediately closed all the other Ledgers shut. After recoiling in surprise and waiting a moment to make sure there weren't any more surprises, Arthur moved towards the only Ledger now open. Noticing that it was the last Ledger from Guinevere's reign, he began to read.

 _I had another prophetic dream tonight, showing me the future Queen Arthur of Spades reading my Ledgers to understand his own foresight. I saw the circumstances under which he was Queen, and knew he would have to read the following to help understand how he can prepare for what will happen to him._

"Well, aren't you just a darling," Arthur muttered, pulling the Ledger closer and reading some more.

 _It was during my time as Queen that the Deck saw four of the strongest Queens it would ever see. Accompanying myself were Juliana of Diamonds, Svetlana of Clubs, and Valencia of Hearts. We were all strong enough to access the latent psychic powers of the Deck Queens: Valencia and I specialized in foresight while Juliana and Svetlana were able to read minds. The Deck must have known that we would be Queens together, as it chose this time for us to collaborate and create the prophecy of the Absorbing. My foresight combined with Valencia's to see what would happen, while Juliana and Svetlana created the connection between our four minds. It was decided that the Spade and Heart Ledgers would hold the basic information about the Absorbing's mechanics._

"That is certainly one way to use the magic," Arthur mused.

 _Following our meeting, I visited the Spade Timepiece to make sure it would recognize the beginning of the Absorbing. I discovered that, contrary to our belief that each Suit would have an Intended, Spades would have two Intendeds. I quickly deciphered that one of the other Suits wouldn't have an Intended, and that they would be especially dangerous for Matthew and Alfred. I secretly wrote to Valencia and asked if she had foreseen this, and she informed me that there would indeed be an Intended-less 'Usurping' Suit that would challenge for power._

"So, you knew about Spades having two Intendeds, but kept that section separate from the mechanics of the Absorbing," Arthur contemplated, "Good thinking, Guinevere."

 _It was shortly after that I had a strange dream about my failure to keep my Intendeds secret. I foresaw that the current Queen of the Usurping Suit would read my mind by force, and take whatever information she could about the Absorbing. Although I wouldn't know what would be revealed, I knew that I needed to have a contingency plan in case either Juliana or Svetlana did act with hostility. I placed a spell on the Spade Timepiece to switch the places of my Intendeds, disguising which twin was the Intended King and which was the Intended Ace. I also created a telepathic link between the Queen and the King of Spades that could be re-opened by another Spade Queen when needed. This way, when the Queen of the Usurping Suit reads my mind, King Richard would know immediately that I have been compromised._

Arthur looked away from the Ledger for a moment to consider the paragraph. For one, it was Guinevere's fault that Matthew was disguised as the Ace and Alfred as the King. Secondly, it could be worthwhile to see if Arthur could re-open that telepathic link, so that he could contact Matthew when and if a battle turned for the worse. He would've preferred being connected to Alfred, but Matthew would certainly come rescue him if anything happened. That, or send Alfred, either way.

Arthur looked at the Ledger again, finding the section he was at and continuing.

 _At our next meeting of the four Suits, Svetlana cornered me while the room was empty and forced herself into my mind. Richard immediately tried to communicate with me, but she blocked him out. I was unable to what what she accessed, but I am certain she was able to see the twins. Another force soon interrupted, and Juliana had joined us inside my mind and fought with Svetlana for control._

"So, Clubs possibly knew all about Matthew and Alfred the entire time?" Arthur realixed.

 _Once Svetlana was kicked out, I saw something through my connection to Juliana's mind that triggered a vision. I saw a descendant of Juliana's as the King of Diamonds, but the same spell I cast on the Spade Timepiece would also be cast on the Diamond Timepiece. This would give the Carriedo King the Ace's Axe, while the King's Sword went to his Bonnefoy Ace. I also saw that the Diamond Queen who would come into power during the Carriedo King's reign would be an Intended. Once we had a moment alone later on, I told Juliana what I had foreseen, and advised her to place the spell on her Timepiece and disguise her Carriedo King._

"Ah, that's how Juliana came up with the Diamonds switch," Arthur chuckled, "Your foresight is to blame for both Timepiece spells."

 _There is one more key thing you must know, Arthur. The magic of Diamonds is entrusted to every one of its Queens, but only those who would do anything to protect their loved ones would be able to access all the latent powers. Juliana found that her son made this possible for her, which is how the Matron Queen was able to become legendary. This strength will be passed down through the generations, making the Carriedo King very protective of those dear to him. However, as strong as Juliana may be, the Intended Diamond Queen will be even stronger. The Jack of Diamonds at the time the Absorbing begins will be her brother, while the Carriedo King will be a very close companion of hers. I even see her having a romantic relationship with the Intended Spade King. With all these loved ones, this Intended Queen's powers will increase with the desire to protect them, making her the strongest Queen the Deck will ever see. I know what it is that you have foreseen, and you will have to trust the Intended Queen with protecting the twins in your place._

Arthur pushed the book away and deeply exhaled as he mulled over what he had just read. Guinevere had described Lilli's situation perfectly, although he could question her relationship with Matthew. Nonetheless, the signs all pointed to her being incredibly powerful, enough to contend with both himself and Elizaveta. Maybe he shouldn't be doubting her.

Arthur stood from the table and went to the balcony doors. The cold night breeze brushed past his skin as he walked to the edge and looked at the gardens. His wandering gaze halted at the Ace's balcony, where Matthew was holding Lilli close and kissing her.

Arthur chuckled. Maybe Guinevere was right.

He turned his head back out towards the garden, but kept Matthew and Lilli in the corner of his eye. As Arthur spied on them, he realized how sweet Matthew and Lilli were together. If it was indeed love, then they were certainly displaying the beauty of a young, pure, innocent love. If it hadn't been for the Absorbing shaking up the Deck Royals, they would've likely never been able to experience this. They would've had to meet in secret, indulge in the forbidden fruit that was inter-Suit affairs, and have their hearts broken when everything fell apart.

That's when it dawned on him. Although they may live, the Absorbing will force the Intendeds to face incredible heartbreak and pain. They had already seen plenty, and there was still more to come. Siblings, friends, confidants and lovers would all be lost, perhaps even betrayed. It couldn't be questioned how the Intendeds would need to be brave and kind, as they would have to overcome this agony.

Alfred and Matthew have already seen so much pain, and they had yet to lose him or Yao.

Noticing some movement, Arthur watched as Matthew guided Lilli back into his room, closing his balcony door behind him. Losing his interest in the empty balcony, Arthur turned and went back into the meeting room, discovering that he was no longer alone.

"I woke up to an empty bed, started looking for you," Alfred explained, placing a tray with a teapot and cup on the table, "I bumped into Angelique, nearly made her drop this. You could've woken me up for comfort instead of asking the servants for tea, you know."

"You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to wake you," Arthur excused, "And for the record, Angelique offered the tea."

"She said the chamomile was to help you relax. I don't have to guess it anymore, you had another bad dream."

"It woke me up five times, so I just gave up on sleep for now. I came into here, read a bit from Guinevere's Ledger, then stood on the balcony for a bit."

Alfred came towards Arthur and wrapped his arms around him, stifling a yawn,

"You know, we must be the only Royals awake in the castle right now."

"Oh, we're definitely not, poppet. I just saw Matthew out on his balcony with Lilli."

"The balcony to his Ace quarters? Why is Lilli there so late?"

"I'm not sure what she went there for, but their meeting definitely went in a romantic direction."

"He made a move on her?"

"They were kissing."

Alfred let go of Arthur and started fist-pumping and jumping in the air in celebration.

"Mattie, you are the bomb! They are so cute together!"

Alfred suddenly paused his celebration, and Arthur watched as the joyful glee dropped from his place.

"Alfred, what's wrong?"

"The Absorbing, Artie. They may have taken that step forward, but they can only stay together if they both survive the Absorbing. And, for Lilli to survive, she has to take your Mark."

"I'm afraid so, Alfred. You and Matthew can both survive together, but there can only be one Queen."

Alfred moved back to Arthur, holding him close and resting his head on his shoulder.

"You can't die, Arthur. It would break my heart."

"I know, Alfred, but if I live, losing Lilli would break Matthew's heart. Would you sacrifice your brother's happiness to keep me alive?"

"I already said that I won't let Lilli kill you, and I will hold myself to that."

Arthur took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, love, but Lilli might not be involved in my death after all."

Alfred lifted his head and pulled away slightly, looking into Arthur's eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you remember how Yao suggested that we need to sneak into the castle and steal Queen Svetlana's Ledgers from Elizaveta's study?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Have you also noticed that I have had prophetic dreams three nights in a row, and the first two involved something that happened the following day?"

Alfred glanced away to think about what was being asked. When he turned back with a look of dread on his face, Arthur knew he caught on.

"Artie, what did you dream about tonight?"

"I saw myself fighting Elizaveta in the Clubs castle, and she gets the upper hand. A blast of magic is about to strike me in the chest when I suddenly wake up in shock."

"You foresaw your own death? Is that even possible?"

"I'm not sure, Alfred, and it's driving me nuts. I've already had the dream five times tonight. Every single time, I wake up before I can see the damage the blast causes. I don't know why it chooses to cut off there, but I understand what the dream is telling me to do."

Alfred grabbed Arthur's arms tightly.

"Arthur, you can't go to the Clubs castle tomorrow. I won't let you."

"I have to, love, for all your sakes. Matthew deserves happiness, and Lilli is an Intended. If I can help get you the Club Ledgers, then it is worth the risk. After all, if I'm not meant to survive, and you won't let Lilli kill me, then Elizaveta is the only other option."

"And what about my happiness?"

"I loathe the idea of putting you through such agony, but we both know that I cannot live forever. The four Intendeds are meant to be brave and kind enough to survive this heartbreak, and I've already seen that with Matthew helping Lilli through her grief. That is the true test the Absorbing will give you."

Alfred looked away and huffed, loosening his grip on Arthur's arms. He turned back with a raised eyebrow.

"If you expect me to stand by while you offer to go to Clubs tomorrow, you'll have to do something now to convince me."

"What do you wish of me, Alfred?"

"If this is meant to be the last night of your life, then we should get back to the bedroom. I will hold you so close to me that you won't be able to leave the bed in the morning."

Arthur giggled, slapping Alfred's arm.

"Oh Alfred, you sodding git."

Alfred smiled, pulling Arthur close to him again.

"Yes, but I'm your sodding git, Arthur. An adorable sodding git who loves you."

Arthur grabbed Alfred's head and pulled him in for a long kiss.

"I love you too, Alfred."

Alfred planted a kiss to Arthur's forehead, before pulling away.

"Come on, honey, let's go back to bed."

Arthur allowed Alfred to pull him out of the meeting room, catching a glance of the untouched teapot on the table. He didn't stop Alfred for it, though, Angelique would take care of it.

She would probably also figure out why it never got touched.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _So, I totally wasn't expecting this chapter to surpass 3000 words, so hopefully you enjoyed the extra-long goodie. I don't want to give away spoilers, but the next chapter is a set-up for the two following major chapters…._**

 ** _A good taste of the UsUk conundrum here, as you guys were clever enough to ask about. Yes, Lilli may be an Intended, but she has to take the Marks of the other Queens to achieve her Intended fate. If Lilli survives, UsUk gets torn apart, while if Arthur survives, there goes the CanLiech._**

 ** _Not sure if anyone caught on, but Angelique is meant to be Seychelles. She was already mentioned in Chapter 11, giving Alfred advice on wooing Arthur just before he met Natalya._**


	33. Chapter 33

Emil walked through the servant corridors, where cleanup was in progress after breakfast. Every morning, he would meet with the housekeeper and go over itineraries for the day, coordinating meals and cleaning with whatever the Royals were up to.

Of course, Emil wasn't sure what to tell Rosa this morning. The Royals could stay in the meeting all day, or it could blow up again like yesterday. He had also filled her in on what he was planning to suggest at the meeting, just in case he didn't return to tell her the lunch plans.

Emil turned the corner, and saw that Angelique was putting away a tea set. He walked over as she turned and gave him a smile.

"Good morning, Emil."

"Good morning, Angelique. How was the night shift?"

"It was fairly good, got lots of cleaning done. Two calls for tea, but that was it."

"Ah, I thought someone might be unable to relax with so much on their mind."

"Yes, that was Matthew's excuse, but Arthur said he had a bad dream."

Emil frowned.

"Arthur had a bad dream? What about?"

"He didn't say, but I offered to bring him tea to help relax. I then bumped into Alfred on the way to the meeting room, and he offered to take the tea in there for me. When I slipped in a few hours later, the tea hadn't been touched. Alfred must have found a way to calm him down."

"Well, that's rather curious. Anyways, I should get going. Thank you, Angelique, you may go get your rest."

Angelique nodded, and took her leave as Emil headed in the other direction.

As he made his way to the meeting room, he mulled over what Angelique told him. They had determined that Arthur had the Spade Queen's foresight, as he had foreseen things two nights in a row. If Arthur had another dream last night, it could be a warning.

Especially if the dream was bad enough to ruin his sleep.

Emil entered the meeting room, and found that he was the first to arrive. As he circled the table, he noticed that all the Ledgers had moved to one end of the table, and that only one of them was open. Once he was past his own chair and got close enough to the Ledger, he read the top paragraph.

 _I had another prophetic dream tonight, showing me the future Queen Arthur of Spades reading my Ledgers to understand his own foresight. I saw the circumstances under which he was Queen, and knew he would have to read the following to help understand how he can prepare for what will happen to him._

Emil backed away in alarm. Guinevere foresaw having to write to Arthur about last night's dream?

Just then, footsteps echoed through the door, and Emil watched as Arthur and Alfred entered the room.

"Good morning, your Majesties," Emil said, giving a small bow, "I hope you slept well."

"I did, eventually," Arthur said, eyeing how close Emil was standing to the open Ledger, "You didn't read that, did you?"

"I only read the top paragraph, Arthur," Emil explained, "I was just speaking to Angelique, she told me you had another dream. It was the foresight again, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was, and I'd rather not talk about it" Arthur admitted, before they turned to see Matthew and Lilli enter the room.

"Good morning, your Majesties," Lilli greeted.

"Good morning," Arthur replied, "Might I have a word alone with the two of you?"

"Sure," Matthew said, and Arthur lead the pair to one of the side rooms. Emil moved back to his chair and sat down, watching as Alfred plopped gloomily into his and sighed.

"So, Alfred, care to talk?"

"He foresaw something bad, Emil," Alfred revealed gloomily, "He doesn't want me saying what it is, but it specifically involves him. I want to keep it from happening, but Arthur insists that I do not interfere with what he sees as his fate. He's planning to do something incredibly foolish at this meeting that could make his dream become a reality, and he's had me promise to let it happen."

Emil found Alfred's story to be quite bizarre. What was Arthur planning? Surely not the same thing as him?

His thoughts interrupted as Yao arrived with Ludwig and Feliciano. Within a few more minutes, Arthur returned with Matthew and Lilli. Once everyone was seated, the Jokers appeared.

"Good morning, everyone," Peter said, "Yesterday we made substantial progress, but then it fell apart once we tried to discuss our next move. Our only idea so far has been to sneak into the Clubs castle and steal Svetlana's Ledgers. Let us begin with that topic."

"If I may begin, that is quite possibly our best option," Ludwig said, "If we can find out what the Clubs do and do not know about the Absorbing, we can make battle strategies based on that. However, I also agree with Arthur's point: it is too dangerous to send any Royals, Intended or not, as the Clubs will try to take any Marks available to them."

"If we can't send Royals, then who do we send?" Yao asked, "The only other option would be to explain to one of our Spades soldiers what is going on."

"That could be risky, since we haven't told anyone why all these Royals are dying in the first place," Matthew warned, "All it would take to cause a frenzy is for one person to listen to our story, refuse to go to Clubs, and tell everyone else. There could be public outcry over how we are managing this, not to mention grounds for anarchy and rebellion."

"We also need to remember that Clubs probably has connections to people in Spades who are more than happy to talk," Lilli pointed out, "It will have to be one of us."

As everyone paused to think, Emil saw his chance and stood.

"If I may speak freely, your Majesties, I have a suggestion."

"Go ahead, Emil," Matthew said.

"I understand how it is too risky to send a Royal, and how you can't trust any outsiders with keeping quiet over what is happening to the Deck Royals. Thanks to your invitation of participating in these meetings as an advisor, I already know how the Absorbing works, as well as the risks and challenges you face. However, I am not a Royal. I bear no Deck Mark that is at risk. This is why, with your permission, I wish to volunteer."

"You're willing to sneak into the Clubs castle and steal the Ledgers?" Gilbert asked, "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am," Emil confirmed.

"I like Emil's suggestion," Feliciano seconded, "We have known him for so long, we can trust him with this mission."

"Emil, don't let them make you do this," Matthew countered, "It is not your fight."

"It is my fight, Matthew," Emil argued, "You and Alfred are like brothers to me, almost as much as Lukas was. You are my family, and if you're going to fight Clubs, I will help you in any way I can."

"Emil, do you understand that you might not return?" Yao tested, "Even if you don't have a Mark, Elizaveta could still have you executed if she catches you stealing her Ledgers."

"Emil will safely return to Spades," Arthur interrupted before Emil could answer, "I can personally guarantee it."

"How?" Gilbert asked, "How can you guarantee that?"

"I will be going with him," Arthur stated.

"What?" Emil exclaimed as he looked at Arthur, noticing the other voices echoing him didn't include Alfred's.

"What the hell, Arthur?" Ludwig asked, "Weren't you the most adamant yesterday about not sending non-Intendeds?"

"I thought about this last night, and I now believe this is my duty to fulfill," Arthur elaborated, "If Elizaveta shows up while we are stealing the Ledgers, we'll need someone strong enough to keep her out of the way until we can get the Ledgers out of there. Either of us would work, but Lilli is the Intended Queen, and we can't risk her safety if I can be spared. I will go, and I will make sure Emil returns with the Club Ledgers, whatever it takes."

"What if you get separated from the others when fighting Elizaveta?" Yao asked, "How will you get out of there?"

"Queen Guinevere once put a permanent spell on the Spade Timepiece," Arthur explained, "It allows a telepathic link between the King and Queen of Spades, and I re-opened that link this morning. If anything happens to me, Matthew will know it."

"You opened the link with the intention of going to Clubs, didn't you?" Matthew asked.

"Guinevere would not have written about it if it weren't of use to us," Arthur confirmed.

"Please don't do this, Artie," Alfred pleaded.

"Alfred, we've been through this," Arthur said, "Please stop trying to keep me from going, it's futile."

Emil watched Alfred sulk further into his chair as Arthur talked, and started putting things together. Alfred told him that Arthur's dream was telling him to do something foolish, and going to the Clubs castle certainly fit the bill. If that is what he meant, then Arthur must have foreseen something bad happening at the Clubs castle.

If that was the case, then why would Arthur still go? How bad was it?

"So Arthur and Emil have agreed to go," Peter summed up, "Does everyone agree to this?"

Everyone nodded, and Emil noticed Alfred hesitate before also nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we are decided then," Gilbert said, "Peter will take Arthur and Emil to the Clubs castle, where they will obtain Svetlana's Ledgers. I would've gone, but if we were to be caught, Peter has the much better chance of survival."

"Yep, no use sending the Joker that every Club Royal would kill on the spot," Peter quipped, "Arthur, Emil, I'm ready when you are."

As the others started murmuring, Emil stood from his chair to join Peter at the Joker's end of the table. As he reached the Jokers, there was suddenly a burst of giggling and wolf-whistles in the room as Alfred was holding Arthur close and kissing him.

"Oh shut it, you bloody wankers," Arthur scolded the others after breaking the kiss.

As the couple whispered to each other, Emil couldn't help but feel nervous about the situation. If this went terribly, and Arthur didn't make it back, then this moment together was the couple's last. It suddenly made sense why Alfred was so miserable.

Arthur pecked Alfred's lips one more time before leaving his arms and walking around the table, giving Matthew's shoulder a squeeze on his way by.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Arthur said, "Let's go."

Peter grabbed both their shoulders, and the next thing Emil saw was green.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Have I really not done Emil's point of view since chapter 3? I've been so caught up in making sure everyone has at least one POV section before they get killed off, so perhaps that's why our Icelandic babe keeps getting sidelined. I should try to fit in at least one more for him. I am cautious of who I use for POV's, especially since seven of eleven dead characters so far have had POV sections within a few chapters of their deaths…._**


	34. Chapter 34

Arthur had closed his eyes for the teleportation, and he could feel the change in his surroundings before opening his eyes again. Well, the scenery wasn't too strange, but the atmosphere was certainly different. They were in a small alcove adorned with a green tapestry, down a hallway somewhere in the Clubs castle. The decor was similar to Spades, with tapestries and statues lining the walls, and the occasional window to allow in the natural light from outside. Despite the similarities, it felt different. Although there was plenty of natural light from the windows, and candles lit where it was dark, it felt very cold and menacing.

"This way," Peter directe, motioning for the group to enter the hallway.

"It's weird," Arthur commented, "So much light, but it feels like a dark, haunted cave."

"Winter comes earlier here," Emil explained, "The Clubs castle is on the edge of the far northern Ural Mountain range. While we still have a warm sunny autumn in Spades, this mountain range already has blizzards forming. Come to think of it, the Braginski family is from ever further north past these mountains. When Ivan got his Club Mark, he and his sisters had to cross these mountains in the dark of winter."

"No wonder Ivan and Natalya are so strong and persistent," Arthur quipped, "If they could survive that, then they make the rest of us look like fools."

"Hush," Peter hissed, signalling for them to stop and be quiet. Holding himself deathly still, Arthur could hear what Peter was noticing.

Footsteps.

"Behind the curtains, hurry," Peter ordered them, and Arthur hid himself behind one of the long green curtains adorning the window. Emil hid behind the curtain on the other side of the window, while Peter chose the tapestry just beside Emil.

Arthur was focused on staying still as he heard the approaching footsteps joined by a click of heels in the other direction. Taking a peek to his right, Arthur saw who the clicking of heels belonged to.

Natalya.

"Well?" the first person asked, and Arthur took a peek to the left to see that it was Roderich joining her.

"Ivan and Elizaveta are both in meetings with advisors," Natalya revealed, "We have 10 minutes."

"What a pity, not nearly enough time," Roderich griped.

"Definitely not enough for me to finish off, at least," Natalya snarked as she stopped within an arm's distance of Roderich in the middle of the hallway, "You certainly could, though."

"Well, aren't you a cruel vixen?" Roderich teased as he moved in closer, reaching around Natalya and pulling down on her hair. With her head tilted, Roderich went in to devour her lips.

Arthur watched in shock as the couple snogged. He had nearly forgotten what Elizaveta had told him a few months ago. In particular, he had forgotten about the numerous affairs between the Clubs Royals. Natalya ended the kiss, and pulled Roderich to a door on the other side of the hallway. Once they had gone inside, Peter signalled for Arthur and Emil to stay back. The Joker moved to the door and listened in to make sure Roderich and Natalya weren't coming out. After a moment, Peter nodded, and waved for the others to follow him down the hallway.

"I wasn't expecting that," Emil mumbled.

"Neither did I, and I should have," Arthur muttered.

Peter led them further down the hallway and around a corner, before stopping at a door.

"Okay, listen up," Peter whispered, "This is Elizaveta's study, but she might be inside. I will go in first, and if we're all good, I'll let you in. If anyone comes, knock three times before you enter, and I'll either let you in or teleport you out of here."

Peter slipped through the door, and Arthur kept a watch while waiting. He thought he heard some distant footsteps down the hallway, but his observation was interrupted by the door opening.

"Coast is clear, come on in."

Arthur followed Emil into the room, closing the door gently behind him As he turned to look at the room, he froze in his spot.

It was the same room from his dream.

"Arthur, are you okay?" Emil asked, already halfway to the desk at the back of the room.

"I've seen this room before," Arthur answered, walking slowly as he looked at the familiar bookshelves.

"But you haven't been here before," Emil quizzed.

"I saw it in my dream last night," Arthur admitted, "I saw myself in this room fighting Elizaveta."

"Shit, why didn't you tell us that before we came?" Peter jabbered, "We need to get those Ledgers and get out of here fast!"

"Hey, look at this," Emil said, reading an open Ledger on the desk, "Elizaveta was writing her own notes about the Absorbing."

"We should take hers as well, then," Peter said, "And here are Svetlana's Ledgers."

It was as Peter and Emil grabbed the Ledgers from the desk that Arthur sensed it. Someone in the room was using magic, and it certainly wasn't any of them. Knowing that something might happen, Arthur brought his hands together and summoned some magic in preparation.

"Arthur, what are you doing?" Peter asked.

"We're not alone," Arthur disclosed, before feeling a large surge of magic power forming behind him. He spun around and cast a shield of blue magic, just in time to block a large burst of green and red magic. As the magic faded away, Arthur saw Elizaveta standing at the door.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," Elizaveta accused, "A trio of trespassers trying to steal my Ledgers."

"Peter, I'll keep her busy," Arthur demanded, not breaking eye contact with Elizaveta, "Get Emil out of here now."

"He's not leaving," Elizaveta refused, casting another spell in Emil's direction. Arthur saw the trajectory, and created another shield of blue magic to protect Emil.

"I promised the others Emil would return to Spades," Arthur divulged, watching out of the corner of his eye as Peter grabbed Emil and teleported him, "By any means necessary."

"Even if it means sacrificing yourself, I see," Elizaveta observed, "Perhaps I should have you hold up that end of the bargain."

Elizaveta suddenly started casting several spells at once, and Arthur quickly found himself summoning all his power to fight back. Blast after blast, the Queens fired spells at each other, circling the room as they dodged any spells that got past their defences.

After some time, they had nearly switched places in the room, with Elizaveta closer to her desk and Arthur by the door. Suddenly, Peter reappeared a few feet away from Elizaveta, ready to swing his Scythe. Before he could strike, Elizaveta turned her spell into a whip, coiling it around Peter's wrists and flinging him into the air. Arthur watched as the momentum sent Peter through the doors and out of the room.

It was as Arthur turned to face Elizaveta again that he saw it. A small strand of red magic, no larger than a crochet needle, about to hit his hand.

Just like in the dream.

Time seemed to slow down as Arthur watched the red magic come closer, and he could already tell that it couldn't miss. As it pierced his hand, the pain shot through his arm to the rest of his body, and Arthur cringed as he felt his connection to his magic disintegrate. As the pain faded, Arthur looked back up from his hand.

The blast of green magic was heading for him.

With to power to defend himself, and no time to dodge, Arthur knew there was only one thing he could possibly do now.

" **Matthew, I'm so sorry,** " he thought, " **Tell Alfred I love him.** "

* * *

After Peter had taken Emil and Arthur to Clubs, everyone else in Spades had returned to their chairs. Matthew felt uneasy and they all just sat there and waited for news on the mission. He couldn't help but notice that Alfred was the most paranoid.

Gilbert was the first to make a sound, suddenly bursting into chuckles.

"Gilbert, what could possibly be so funny?" Ludwig scoffed.

"Ah Luddy, lighten up," Gilbert whined, "Just think, if Francis were still alive right now, you would owe him 50 silver dollars."

"Why is that?" Ludwig asked.

"Because of that wager you two made about whether or not Roderich and Natalya were involved with each other," Gilbert brought up, "Peter and the boys just watched them sucking on each other's faces in the Clubs hallway."

"I knew it!" Feliciano exclaimed, laughing in his chair, and Matthew noticed Lilli and Yao giggling as well.

"What's all this about?" Matthew asked, "Are they a couple?"

"The Club Royals have what I would define as a four-way open relationship," Lilli explained, "Every pairing and combination possible between the four of them gets intimate on a regular basis."

"Ivan and Natalya are the only exception," Yao added on, "I unfortunately got to hear one time about how they couldn't get past the barrier of incest."

"Over the years, we've caught all the other pairs getting steamy," Feliciano gossiped, "Oh Luddy, remember when you walked in on Ivan and Roderich -"

"Stop talking, Feliciano," Ludwig demanded, covering Feliciano's mouth with his hand, "I'd rather not remember that."

"Anyways, what about our trio in Clubs?" Yao asked, diverting the topic of conversation, "They haven't been found yet, have they?"

"No, not yet," Gilbert replied, "In fact, they just got into Elizaveta's study. They might be in the clear."

"Well, that's a relief," Matthew mumbled, relaxing a bit before looking at his brother again. Despite the words of comfort, Alfred looked even more tense in his chair.

"Alfred, what's wrong?" Matthew demanded, "What's with you today?"

"They're still in danger," Alfred sputtered nervously, "They can't be in the clear yet, it would be too easy."

"Why do you say that?" Yao quizzed.

"Because Arthur's dream said otherwise," Alfred muttered.

"Alfred, what did Arthur see?" Matthew asked.

Before Alfred could explain, Gilbert interrupted, slamming his hands on the table.

"Damn it, Elizaveta caught them in her study!"

The others turned back to Gilbert, who has now leaning forward in his chair, concentrating on his telepathic link to Peter.

"And then what?" Feliciano asked.

Just then, Peter and Emil appeared in the Spades meeting room, carrying four Ledgers.

Arthur wasn't with them.

"He is fighting Elizaveta," Peter reported, "Arthur told me to get Emil out of there with the Ledgers."

"You can't leave him there!" Alfred pleaded, leaping from his chair.

"Take a chill pill, dude," Peter said, "Our first priority was getting Emil and the Ledgers out of there. Now that they are both here in Spades, I can go back and help Arthur."

Peter then disappeared again, while Emil brought the Ledgers to the table.

"Did Svetlana manage to write enough for four Ledgers during her lifetime?" Lilli asked, noticing the pile of Ledgers.

"Only two of these were written by Svetlana," Emil explained, "I noticed that Elizaveta was writing some notes of her own about the Absorbing, so Peter said we should take her Ledgers with us as well. If she wrote down any of their strategies, we can plan for it."

"Shit, Peter was taken down," Gilbert interrupted again, "The other Club Royals caught him and blindfolded him. He can't see anything to report to me now!"

"Then how is Arthur supposed to get out of there now?" Alfred begged.

As the others freaked out, Matthew suddenly felt his mind go into a small trance, and a familiar voice came through.

" **Matthew, I'm so sorry. Tell Alfred I love him.** "

As soon as the message was delivered, the trance disappeared, and Matthew was able to focus on the room again.

"Everyone, quiet," he shouted at the others, getting their attention, "Arthur just messaged me."

"What did he say?" Alfred asked, his eyes lit up with hope for the first time that day, and Matthew suddenly dreaded what he had to report.

"Arthur said he's sorry, and to tell you he loves you."

Just then, a surge of sharp pain filled Matthew's head, and his hands gripped the chair. He grimaced, clenching his eyelids shut as he attempted to fight the agony.

"Matthew, what's wrong?" Lilli asked, grabbing his hand.

"Something's happening to Arthur," Matthew managed to huff, "It's affecting the telepathic link."

Suddenly the pain disappeared, and Matthew was able to open his eyes again as he heaved for breath.

"It's gone," he gasped, "The pain just disappeared."

"What about the telepathic link?" Lilli enquired, "Can you get through to Arthur?"

"I can try."

Matthew closed his eyes and concentrated, taking deep calming breaths. He felt himself go into a trance-like state, and knew he had the connection again.

" **Arthur, can you hear me?** " he thought, " **What happened? Are you okay?** "

After a moment, he got an answer.

" **Hello, Matthew.** "

His mind froze on the spot at the feminine voice, and he could only come up with one thought.

" **Elizaveta, what have you done to Arthur?** "

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _DUN DUN DUUUUUNN! CLIFFHANGER!_**

 ** _It was just a couple days ago that I remembered what I put in Chapter 12 about all the sexual activities of the Club Royals, and realized I could put some of it into here. Hence the snogging scene out of nowhere._**


	35. Chapter 35

Despite her nerves making her imagine every worst case scenario possible, Lilli waited patiently as Matthew tried speaking to Arthur through the telepathic link. She had tried to read his mind while he had been cringing in pain before, and found a strange energy tampering the connection, as if something was happening to Arthur that Matthew was also able to feel.

Considering the message Arthur had sent Matthew moments earlier, she feared the worst.

Noticing Matthew's jaw drop a bit and his eyes twitch in surprise, Lilli assumed he got a reply that he wasn't expecting. All of a sudden, Matthew's eyes shut and he cringed in pain again, grabbing the arms of the chair as tightly as possible.

"Matthew?" Lilli beckoned, putting her hands to his head to try and connect telepathically. She felt the large surge of magic that was going through Matthew's mind and taking control of everything. Just as she identified the magic's multiple Deck origins, it forced her out of Matthew's mind.

"Lilli, what's happening to him?" Gilbert asked as Lilli noticed the rest of the room watching in alarm.

"Matthew's mind has been compromised," Lilli told the others, "It's a mental invasion."

Matthew suddenly shot back in his chair, his eyes wide open, and Lilli noticed that even the whites of his eyes had turned into the navy blue of Spades. Swirls of blue magic came from his eyes, and Lilli followed their path as the magic formed a shape floating above the table.

Everyone else in the room gasped as the shape suddenly shifted into a projection of the Queen of Clubs.

"Elizaveta, stop this right now," Lilli implored.

"How lovely to see you too, little flower," Elizaveta replied, her greeting drenched in sarcasm.

"How are you doing that to Matthew?" Emil demanded.

"Where's Arthur?" Yao asked, "What have you done to him?"

"Perhaps this will answer your questions," Elizaveta teased as she turned to the Spade Royals and reached to the neckline of her dress, pulling the fabric down. Lilli only had to see Alfred's frightened expression to know what Elizaveta's Club Mark was now also overlapping.

"You killed Arthur," Alfred denounced.

"Yes, that's right, I am your new Queen of Spades," Elizaveta confirmed, "Come to think of it, I should've thanked him for leaving the telepathic link open with Matthew, as otherwise I wouldn't be able to control his mind like this."

"Should I be concerned about being controlled the same way?" Ludwig asked.

Elizaveta spun, and smiled as she saw the pair of Hearts Royals.

"Ah, Ludwig and Feliciano, I wasn't expecting you to be here as well," she said, crouching down in front of Ludwig, "That type of magic is indeed possible between the King and Queen of Hearts. Unfortunately, I would have to be in the same room as you to open that link. Such a pity, I'm sure I could plant some rather lewd fantasies into that stubborn, unwavering mind of yours."

Ludwig batted her hand away as she went to stroke his cheek with her fingers, and flinched at the contact.

"Keep your hands off me, you harlot," Ludwig sneered.

"Don't deny it, Ludwig," Elizaveta teased, "You love it when I touch you."

"Do I really have to watch this?" Gilbert groaned loudly, getting Elizaveta's attention.

"Ah, I see the scum of the Deck is here too," Elizaveta noted, standing and turning away from the relieved Heart King to face the Joker, "I'd wager you're the one who gathered everyone here, in order to prepare a strategy against us, didn't you?"

"Stop the bullshit, Elizaveta," Gilbert insisted, ignoring her gauding, "What have you done to Peter?"

Elizaveta reached her hand out, and Roderich suddenly appeared in the projection, with the Queen's hand resting on his shoulder as he controlled Peter. The Joker's hands were bound behind his back, and Roderich was pulling on them while the foot on Peter's back had forced him into a kneeling position. Gilbert reached to remove the blindfold from Peter's eyes, but the projection gave Gilbert a shock when he touched it.

"Let him go," Gilbert pleaded, and Lilli noticed he was holding the hand that had been shocked.

"I must say, Gilbert, I like you begging," Elizaveta taunted, "Alas, I am disinclined to acquiesce your request. It is far more tempting to do what Sadiq once did to Fritz."

Lilli noticed that Gilbert and Ludwig had gone pale and silent in shock at the mention of the name.

"You wouldn't dare," Gilbert pleaded, wide-eyed and scared.

"Oh, I wouldn't, but she would," Elizaveta hinted, watching as Roderich reached out and was suddenly holding some of the Club Ace's hair. Natalya already had the Axe ready, and flashed a demonic smile as she swung it down on Peter's neck and chopped off his head.

Lilli's jaw dropped and she felt her body go into panic, unable to look away as Peter's head fell away and disappeared from the projection, leaving only the severed neck to observe. Gilbert was crying in despair and trying to climb the table to grab Peter's body, getting heavily jolted by the magic of the projection, while Ludwig left his chair and tried to pull Gilbert away. Elizaveta let go of Roderich, which made the Jack, Ace and murdered Joker leave the projection. The Club Queen looked around in villainous amusement at all the terrified expressions, her gaze stopping at Matthew to study him with a raised eyebrow.

"Now, what to do with you?" Elizaveta muttered, and Lilli noticed that Matthew was still in the same position as before, his face entirely lax and showing no emotion.

Ivan suddenly joined the projection, twirling a strand of Elizaveta's hair and whispering in her ear while also scrutinizing Matthew. Elizaveta flashed a wicked smile as she listened, and she put her hands to Ivan's forehead and concentrated on something. A moment later, she pulled her hands away, and Ivan stepped away from her.

He had broken off all physical contact with Elizaveta like the other Club Royals had, but Ivan remained in the projection.

"What did you do?" Lilli inquired, "How can he still be in the projection?"

"I had Elizaveta open our own telepathic link, and merge it with the one she's using to control Matthew," Ivan explained, "As such, I am now part of the link."

"What's the point of doing that?" Emil questioned uneasily.

"So that we can try this," Elizaveta implied, raising her hands in Matthew's direction and making him stand up, still blue-eyed and showing no emotion.

"She's controlling his movements," Lilli alerted the others as Elizaveta forced Matthew to climb onto the table. Lilli reached out to hold Matthew back, and felt a surge of telepathic energy as she touched him. Lilli pulled her hand back in bewilderment, still observing as Matthew was forced to kneel in front of Ivan. Emil and Yao reached out to pull Matthew away, but pulled back their hands and yelping after touching him.

"We can't touch him," Emil told everyone, holding his hand close, "Elizaveta is having the contact burn our skin."

Lilli looked at her own hand, realizing that she was the only one who wasn't affected by Elizaveta's safeguard against physical contact.

That's when she remembered it. Before the meeting that morning, when Arthur opened the telepathic link, he had Lilli add in a failsafe as a safety measure. If he didn't return from Clubs, it was up to her to close Matthew's connection to the Queen of Spades. That is why she had been monitoring Matthew all morning, and how she knew that Elizaveta was taking control of his mind.

As Ivan's hand was surrounded with green magic, Lilli knew he was summoning his Sword, and she had to act fast. She jumped onto the table and grabbed Matthew's shoulder, holding tight as she joined the telepathic link as quickly as possible. She got a connection just as Ivan was swinging his sword at Matthew, and she immediately summoned the Diamond Queen's Shield in front of Matthew.

Ivan's Sword smashed into the Shield, and the force of the impact repelled his projection off the table and across the room.

As Lilli turned to face Elizaveta, she discovered that she was able to see what Elizaveta was likely seeing. Although Lilli was still in the Spades meeting room, it was overlapped with a view of the Queen's study in Clubs, where she and Matthew were projections that Elizaveta had summoned. Roderich and Natalya were in the back by the corpses of Arthur and Peter, while Ivan was standing up after hitting a bookshelf.

Lilli put her hands on each side of Matthew's head as she glared at the Club Queen.

"Elizaveta, this is your last warning," Lilli threatened, allowing both rooms to hear the power in her voice, "Leave Matthew's mind now, or I will force you out."

"Oh Lilli, don't be absurd," Elizaveta berated, "I am the strongest Queen that Clubs will ever see, and I already bear three of the Deck's four Queen Marks. You might as well surrender now, as you cannot possibly defeat me."

"Perhaps, with such strength, you should look up who Queen Guinevere foresaw as the strongest Queen the Deck would ever see," Lilli hinted.

"And why would I do that?" Elizaveta criticized, "I would just see myself."

"But you wouldn't see yourself," Lilli corrected with a confident smirk, "You would see me."

Lilli closed her eyes and focused on the telepathic link. She felt a large resistance coming from Elizaveta's control, but pushed her way through. Lilli could feel both her mind and Matthew's burning with the pressure of the conflict, but she pushed her way through, redirecting as much of Matthew pain through her own senses as possible to avoid a sensory overload on his end.

After some intense pressure and pain, she reached the failsafe and triggered it. She felt Matthew's mind come under the control of her own Diamond magic, and could hear Elizaveta shriek in pain as she was disconnected. As soon as all remaining traces of Elizaveta's control had vanished, Lilli disconnected herself from Matthew's mind as gently as possible.

As she tried to look around the Spades meeting room, her mind and body succumbed to exhaustion, and she felt herself falling as she blacked out.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _I was thinking of giving Peter a POV in the previous chapter in preparation for this, but felt that would be too confusing with both Arthur and Matthew in there already, so have the surprise instead. I've been waiting to show off how strong Lilli is :)_**


	36. Chapter 36

Feliciano had frozen in his chair in fear as soon as Elizaveta's projection appeared on the table, and he could only watch in horror as Natalya chopped off Peter's head. He finally managed to move when he watched Lilli block the swing of Ivan's Sword, ducking as the Club King's projection flew across the room.

He couldn't see what was happening inside their minds, but Feliciano was able to tell that the mental battle was taking a toll on Lilli, who was cringing in pain as she hung on. Eventually, Elizaveta's shriek of pain pierced their ears as her projection disappeared, and Feliciano saw Matthew's eyes turn from blue to orange as Lilli took control of his mind. Lilli let go of him and immediately fainted, while Matthew's eyes turned to their regular colours. He also fell to the table, but was able to bring his arms forward to brace himself for impact.

Feliciano stood up, watching as Ludwig checked to see if Matthew was okay, while Gilbert rushed around the other side of the table to help Emil check Lilli. He sighed in relief as Matthew groaned in response to Ludwig's pestering.

"He's conscious," Ludwig told everyone, "What of Lilli?"

"She's out like a rock, but she's breathing normally," Emil reported as Gilbert held her forehead and tried to scan her mind.

"My head," Matthew slowly groaned, "Feels like… a thousand horses…. trampled on it…"

"Lilli used a lot of magic at once, and burnt herself out," Gilbert revealed, letting go of Lilli, "Her latent magic is already working to heal her, she just needs some rest."

"We should get her to her room then," Yao suggested, "I can summon the castle healers, see if they have anything that will help ease the pain."

"Good thinking, Yao," Gilbert agreed, "Emil, can you carry Lilli to her quarters? Ludwig, see if Matthew can raise his head."

Emil lifted Lilli's unconscious body into his arms and took her out of the meeting room, with Yao following closely. Feliciano watched as Matthew tried to push himself up, only to fall back to the table in pain. Gilbert circled the table and put his hands to Matthew's head.

"Will he be okay, Gilbert?" Feliciano asked.

"The mind control scrambled his brain," Gilbert evaluated, "He'll be fine, he just needs to rest. Ludwig, grab an arm and help him off the table."

"Anything I can do to help?" Feliciano offered, watching as Ludwig and Gilbert lifted Matthew off the table.

"Sorry, Feli, but I think we're good here," Gilbert declined, before nodding his head past him, "How about you check on Alfred there?"

As Gilbert and Ludwig moved Matthew out of the room, Feliciano turned and saw that Alfred was still in his seat, face frozen in shock and small streaks from tears. He moved over to the desolate Spade, sitting on the table beside him and shaking his shoulder.

"Alfred?" Feliciano asked gently, "Are you okay?"

Alfred leaned over and laid his head on his crossed arms, sobbing on the table. Feliciano pulled his chair closer and sat down, stretching his arm around Alfred's shoulders.

"He's gone," Alfred lamented, "Arthur is gone."

"Yes, he is," Feliciano consoled, "I'm so sorry. I'm sure you and Arthur had some wonderful times together."

"We sure did. I fell for him the moment I saw him at the midsummer festival last year. He was using magic to make a green glass orb float in mid-air, and his boss was giving contestants two minutes of time in which to steal the orb. Mattie and I worked together, he snuck to the orb while I flirted with Arthur."

"And how did that go?"

"I bombed spectacularly when I touched his eyebrows and compared them to caterpillars."

Feliciano giggled, and noticed Alfred look up at him with a small smile and a chuckle of his own.

"What did he do next?" Feliciano encouraged.

"Well, I had leaned in really close to him, so he pushed me to the ground and almost cast a spell at me. Of course, it was at that moment that Mattie took the orb, so Artie's boss stormed onto the stage and accused him of cheating. Ah, those were good times."

"What did Arthur think of it all?"

"He probably thought I was the most annoying fool in the Deck. It sure took a long time for him to warm up to me, but once he accepted me back, it was amazing. He may seem irritable, but below the surface he had a heart of gold."

Feliciano chuckled again, and noticed that Alfred was looking at him puzzled.

"How do you do that, Feli?"

"Do what?"

"How can you keep smiling when everything around you is going to hell?"

Feliciano inhaled sharply as he thought about it before explaining.

"My grandfather once taught me that the way you act around others affects how they feel. If you are negative all the time, then those around you will feel it and become negative themselves. But if you are happy, they catch on to the happiness and spread that around instead. Yes, life is very difficult, but I have learned to look on the bright side and enjoy the simplest of pleasures. I have also found that helping others become happy is also a wonderful feeling."

"Your grandfather sounds like a wise man."

"Yes, he taught us so much. Our father died in the battle against the Mad Queen, so he raised us while he worked as a chef in the Hearts castle. Even before we became Royals, Lovino and I were already working in the castle kitchens and helping the other servants get everything done."

Alfred chuckled, and there was a small smirk on his face.

"Did your grandfather teach your happiness lesson to Lovino, by chance?"

"He did, but Lovino didn't take to it like I did. He would still help others in his own way, and he would try to control his pessimism. However, he made up for the realism that I sometimes lacked. I would often drive him nuts trying to make him smile, offering him hugs and such, and he would always push me away and say he didn't need it. Every once in a while, though, when one of us was down, the other would always be there as an emotional rock. When Lovino was depressed, he would accept my hugs and support. If I was feeling down, he'd be there to get me going again. We couldn't have had better support when we got our Marks together."

"I'm sorry for bringing this up, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but what will you do now without Lovino there to support you?"

"It's okay, Alfred. I'll admit, the last two days have been difficult, since I no longer have Lovino here to take care of me. Although our romantic relationship has been turbulent, Ludwig still knows me well enough to try comforting me. He doesn't show emotion or sympathy very well, but at least he is there to make sure I'm not alone. I've also had a lot of distractions lately with the Absorbing, so I am just starting to remember that they are gone without losing all hope. I think you're noticing that too."

"What makes you say that?"

"I know this is going to ruin your mood, but while I've been talking about Lovino, your face has lightened up a bit from not having to think about Arthur for a few minutes."

Alfred's face went serious again as he took a deep breath, and Feliciano paused to let Alfred assess his state of mind. After a few moments, Alfred spoke.

"You're right, I think that did help. At least a little bit, anyways. It still hurts."

"I understand completely, it will take time to heal."

"Arthur knew it would happen. The fight with Elizaveta, I mean. Last night, he dreamed he was fighting her in the Clubs castle, and that she got the upper hand."

"So, he went to Clubs knowing that he could die? Why would he do that?"

"He insisted on going, and he wouldn't let me stop him. He knew he wasn't an Intended, and he foresaw what ended up being his death. He believed that losing everyone we love is the true test the Absorbing will force on the Intendeds."

As Alfred sniffled and wiped away some newly formed tears, Feliciano thought about Alfred's words and carefully planned his response.

"I think Arthur might have a point there, and I'm willing to elaborate, but are you willing to listen and consider what I have to say?"

"I will try."

Seeing that Alfred was genuinely going to put in the effort, Feliciano began.

"Yes, it is true that Arthur willingly walked into his fate, but I believe he went in determined to give it everything he had. When anyone is faced with heartbreak and peril, they would wish that none of it had happened, but that is not for them to decide. What we must decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. Arthur saw that his time was limited, but didn't he make sure that he used every moment wisely?"

"He did. After his decision last night, he made sure to spend as much time with me as possible before he left."

"Then, when he went to Clubs, did he not make sure Emil got out of there safe with the Club Ledgers? Do you really think that, just because he foresaw losing his battle with Elizaveta, he wouldn't go down without a fight?"

Alfred nodded in sombre agreement, and Feliciano continued.

"Arthur's not the only one who made that choice, Alfred. When Lovino and Kiku would have discovered that I was an Intended, they likely understood that they were not meant to survive. They chose to make sure I knew where to find the Ledgers. They chose to face the Club Royals during the attack in Hearts, instead of allowing Gilbert to get them out of there. They chose to fight, to at least keep Elizaveta and Natalya busy, so that Gilbert and Peter had a slight chance at finding me. They put their lives on the line to protect me, and while it may still hurt that they are gone, I know that I will always be grateful."

Feliciano paused to catch his own breath this time. It was hard to think about this so soon after losing Lovino and Kiku, but Feliciano also needed to hear these words spoken aloud.

"Antonio did the same for all of us, didn't he?" Alfred said, distracting Feliciano from his thoughts.

"Yes, he and Francis both did. They knew for years that this was coming, and although they didn't know for sure that she was an Intended, they were determined to protect Lilli with their lives. Francis placed himself in danger to allow Antonio time to get Lilli out of Diamonds. Antonio then came to Hearts with the Jokers and fought both Elizaveta and Natalya, determined to get as many of us out of there as possible."

Alfred gave a small chuckle.

"Then he saved Mattie's life, and punched Ivan in the face when he tried to absorb his Mark."

"Yes, he convinced Ivan to kill him instead of your brother, and even though he was sacrificing his life, he did not go down gently. Peter fought through his own fate as well, going back to Clubs and trying to save Arthur from Elizaveta. With every person we have lost so far, they knew that their time was limited, but they still raged against the dying of the light. They made sure they could help us and protect us as much as they could before they met their deaths."

Alfred leaned back and sighed.

"Wow, that certainly puts things into perspective, doesn't it?"

"You're right about that. I believe Arthur was right about the Absorbing testing us by taking everyone we love. The Intendeds are meant to be brave, intelligent, kind and humble, are they not? It will take that bravery and kindness we each have to pull through this agony, and it will involve having us work together. Matthew and Lilli are already showing the benefits, and you're already doing better than you were earlier. It will take a lot of time to heal, especially since we may still lose Ludwig and Yao, but we can make it through this. We will make it so that none of their deaths were in vain."

Alfred reached over and pulled him into a hug, and Feliciano could feel that it was helping both of them.

"Thank you, Feliciano, I guess I needed to hear that."

"Not a problem, I needed to hear it too."

Alfred let go and patted Feliciano's shoulder as he stood up.

"I think I need to get out of this stuffy room."

"Same here. It's too bad we're in Spades instead of Hearts, I would love to take Pasta out for a ride."

"Pasta?"

"My horse."

Alfred laughed.

"You named your horse Pasta? Matthew said I was silly for naming my horse Hero!"

"That certainly sounds like a name you'd come up with."

"Come on, Feli, let's go for a ride, we'll see which of our horses will like you. Hana would be a good choice, she might think you act at least a bit like Tino."

As Alfred led him out of the room rambling about the horses, Feliciano was already starting to feel more at ease.

They will get through this together.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _ **This chapter was tough to write, so I hope I did it justice. I needed Feli to be the voice of reason on these points, but I also needed to show sympathy for their losses. Some sources include Sadness from Inside Out (that movie can make me cry!), Gandalf from LOTR, and the Dylan Thomas poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night", as well as a bit of personal life experience. And yes, I did intentionally plan for Alfred and Feli to come together to heal.**_


	37. Chapter 37

After helping Gilbert and the others get Matthew and Lilli settled, Ludwig found himself sitting alone in the meeting room in front of the empty table.

As he stared past the table and out the window at the sun heading west, his thoughts returned to the Jokers. Fritz was Gilbert's fellow Joker when Ludwig got his Mark, and was a wise mentor in the year they worked together. He had gotten into a spat in Clubs the following winter, and nobody expected Sadiq to be able to kill Fritz. They knew that Jokers were supposed to fade away at the end of their servitude, but Sadiq's Axe through Fritz's neck proved to everyone that Jokers could be killed.

As if it wasn't enough to see once in a lifetime, Gilbert has now lost two fellow Jokers the same way.

Ludwig looked at the table again, and noticed the pile of Club Ledgers waiting to be read. Amidst all the commotion, they had been forgotten, and Ludwig figured he should take a look through them. He lifted himself from his seat, circled the table, and brought the Ledgers back to his chair. He spread out the four Ledgers, and chose one of Svetlana's to read first. Remembering that Valencia had marked the dates of her own entries about the Absorbing, Ludwig looked for a similar date in Svetlana's, and quickly found what he was looking for.

 _It is after much deliberation that I write the following section, as I had to control my frustration upon learning of how the future Royals of Clubs are expected to submit themselves to the rest of the Deck._

 _I recently returned from a meeting between the four Queens of the Deck. We have discovered a future event called the Absorbing, where the four Suits will be united under one group of Royals. I was willing to work with the others on the research of this prophecy, and even compromised on the interpretation of each Suit being represented by the Intended survivors._

 _I visited the Club Timepiece to see what would become of my followers, and discovered that not a single Club Royal would be an Intended. I remembered our discussion about the Absorbing, and how the Intendeds would have to kill the other Royals in their ranks and absorb their Marks, and I realized that the Intendeds are not guaranteed to survive. As such, I will record all I can about the Absorbing as preparation for the Club Royals who will be in a position to take control of the Deck for themselves._

"Basically, you wanted revenge for getting the short end of the stick," Ludwig muttered, before he kept reading.

 _My first move was to prepare the Club Timepiece. I have found that it would freeze when the last Ace of Clubs received her Mark before the start of the Absorbing. I do not know how much time they would have to prepare after she receives her Mark, so I made the hand for each of the Club Royals who would participate in the Absorbing individually freeze at the 12 when they received their Marks. As such, my Jack and Queen would know to start their research when the King received his Mark, three years before the Ace got hers._

Ludwig recoiled from the Ledger in astonishment, and the door opened before Ludwig could process this thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ludwig," Yao said, "Did I surprise you?"

"A little bit," Ludwig replied, "I just saw something in Svetlana's Ledger that triggered a memory."

"Really?" Yao asked, sitting in Gilbert's chair, "What did she say?"

"Svetlana discovered that none of her Club Royals were Intendeds, so she vowed to leave them as much time and information as possible to prepare for the Absorbing. One thing she did was make each individual hand of the Clubs Timepiece freeze at the 12 when each of her Royals got their Marks. This way, the Queen and Jack would know to start their research when the King got his Mark three years before the Ace did."

"Elizaveta and Roderich got their Marks four years before Ivan, isn't that correct? And Natalya got hers three years later?"

"Yes, and that's the memory that was triggered. Clubs and Hearts were at war that year, and King Gupta and King Vladimir were both slain in battle. I was found and made the new King of Hearts within a few days, but it took Ivan a month and a half to get to the Clubs castle with his Mark. I had been negotiating a peace treaty with Elizaveta, but she did not have authority as the Queen of Clubs to sign such a treaty on the King's behalf. She had to check the Timepiece at that time to make sure the Club King Mark had been assigned. Based on what Svetlana wrote here, I suspect that Elizaveta discovered both her minute hand and Roderich's second hand still at the 12, even though they had already been Royals for four years."

Yao reached for one of the newer Ledgers.

"Well, it's a good thing Emil brought us Elizaveta's Ledgers, she probably started her research then. That was eight years ago now, correct?"

"Yes, it was."

Ludwig waited as Yao shuffled through Elizaveta's Ledger before stopping at a few sections and reading.

"Here it is, you're right. That's exactly when Elizaveta knew there was something going on. She told Roderich and Sadiq immediately, and they decided that they would start the research after they found the new King and completed the peace treaty."

"See if you can find her first research notes."

Yao moved a few pages forward.

"Elizaveta notes here how they discovered their destiny as the rebels of the Absorbing. They quickly deciphered that she would be involved, as would Roderich and Ivan. It had already been more than 1640 days since Sadiq got his Mark, and his time was still moving toward the 12, so they knew the next Ace of Clubs would be the one they needed to wait for."

"Wait, what is that bit about the 1640 days?"

"It doesn't say specifically, but it does mention it being foreseen when Svetlana read Queen Guinevere's mind. Perhaps you have that part in your Ledger, Ludwig."

Ludwig turned a few more pages in Svetlana's Ledger, before noticing the familiar number written at the bottom of the page.

"I think I found it," Ludwig said as he started to read again.

 _At today's meeting, I found my opportunity to learn more about the Absorbing. The other Royals had foolishly left me alone in the room with Queen Guinevere of Spades. While her foresight is certainly legendary, my own telepathic powers allow me to see whatever she has foreseen. I forced myself into her mind, and found what she had discovered about the Absorbing. The first thing I saw as we connected was that the Absorbing would start exactly 1640 days after my last Ace of Clubs received her Mark._

"Elizaveta's notes are correct, the Absorbing was meant to start 1640 days after Natalya received her Mark," Ludwig told Yao.

"That was almost five years ago now, wasn't it?"

"Yes, exactly five years as at December 21st. 1640 days would be approximately four and a half years, which would line up with sometime in June this year."

"June 18th, just before midnight."

Ludwig noticed the soft mutter, and looked over to see that Yao was stunned.

"How do you know that for sure, Yao?"

"That's when they killed King Berwald and Ace Mikkel. Valencia's Ledger said the Absorbing would start when all the Timepieces froze, and the Spade Timepiece froze after Alfred received his Mark. Ivan was seen trying to take Berwald's Mark that night, and I think Natalya tried to take Mikkel's. That's why I wanted to see these Club Ledgers, since I suspected Ivan and Natalya didn't know about the other Timepieces freezing."

"So, Berwald and Mikkel had to be killed for the Absorbing to start, but they weren't a part of the Absorbing themselves. That'll be interesting to explain to the others."

"Certainly. Does Svetlana say anything else about reading Guinevere's mind?"

"The page ends here, but there might be more."

Ludwig turned to the next page and found a something rather unexpected.

The right side had no text, instead showing a sketch of two young men. The man to the right was facing the reader and had shorter hair. He was holding a King's Sword, and there was a Spade Mark on his chest. The man to the left stood with his back to the reader, head turned to the side with slightly longer hair. He was holding an Ace's Axe, and had a Spade Mark across his shoulder blades, along with a crown on his head.

The baffling part was that Ludwig recognized the two men.

"That's Matthew and Alfred," Yao gasped, "Svetlana drew Matthew and Alfred in the Clubs Ledger."

"Not only that, but I think she saw through the disguise. Look at how Alfred is holding the King's Sword, but Matthew is wearing the Crown."

As Yao looked closer at the drawing, Ludwig read the first paragraph at the top of the other page.

 _Guinevere's foresight also featured these two blond brothers, possibly twins. Although the Spade weapons they wield suggest a certain rank, the supposed Ace is wearing the King's Crown. I saw that, whether intentionally arranged by the brothers or switched with a spell on the Spade Timepiece, the rightful King of Spades will be disguised as an Ace while his brother will be disguised as a King. I also noticed that Guinevere sees them as key players in the Absorbing, if not possibly Intendeds. They will be the greatest threat to my Club Royals. I tried to see more about them, but Juliana chose that moment to barge in and force me out of Guinevere's mind._

"Svetlana saw enough to know that they were switched, and that they would be involved in the Absorbing. I wonder if Ivan and Natalya considered this when plotting their murders."

Yao grabbed Elizaveta's newer Ledger and flipped through it hastely.

"They met the twins earlier that day, but didn't even know who they were until after killing Berwald and Mikkel. As for Elizaveta, she wouldn't have even known of their existence until we kicked them all out of Spades. Ivan and Natalya would've told her about the twins on their way back to Clubs."

"So the new question is, when did they realize they were switched?"

Ludwig watched as Yao finished turning the pages in the Ledger.

"Here it is, just as I thought. These are Elizaveta's notes as soon as they returned from Alfred's coronation. When she saw Alfred as King and Matthew as the Ace, she recognized them and understood immediately that they were switched."

"In other words, they knew the entire time that Matthew was a King."

* * *

 ** _Author's note_**

 ** _Once again, I got so wrapped up in my plot details that I needed to put the other part of this chapter into the next one. Seriously, at this point I have so many headcannons for character backstories that I could start a prequel fanfic. If I had known back in February that I would come up with all these ideas, I'd have written the entire story before I started posting. Of course, this is working well too, with the focus on Matthew and Alfred, instead of taking another 20+ chapters to reach the Absorbing._**


	38. Chapter 38

Gilbert was strolling the castle hallways, thinking about what to do next. Lilli had awoken, and she insisted on resting in the same room as Matthew, so he took her there and left Emil and the healers to watch over both of them. He hadn't realized how close the Intended King and Queen had become in just a couple days, but perhaps the mayhem they were forced to endure gave them a push in that direction.

He turned toward the meeting room, and saw a servant struggling to open the door while holding a tray with tea. He teleported to her side, and grabbed the tray while she squawked in surprise.

"It's okay, I've got the tea," Gilbert assured her, "You can get the door now."

"Well, thank you sir," the young girl accepted, and she opened the door before taking the tray back. Gilbert followed her into the room, where Ludwig and Yao were reading some Ledgers.

"I thought I heard a small shriek, Angelique, is everything okay?" Yao inquired as the girl brought the tea to the table.

"That would be my fault," Gilbert cleared up, "I saw her struggling to open the door, so I teleported to her side and helped her out."

"Gilbert, how many times do I have to tell you to not scare the servants?" Ludwig groaned.

"It's all right, your Majesty, I appreciate his help," Angelique said as she poured tea, "Would all three of you like some tea? Yao asked for it, but I have more than enough here for all of you."

"I'll take some, please," Gilbert requested as he took the seat beside Ludwig, "So, I see you boys were busy reading the Ledgers. Learn anything yet?"

"A couple of things," Ludwig answered, "For one, the Club Royals have been planning for this since Ivan got his Mark eight years ago."

"Wow, that's a long time," Gilbert remarked, nodding to Angelique as she brought him a cup of tea, "It looks like they actually had the patience to observe and plan accordingly. What else?"

"When reading Guinevere's mind, Svetlana saw on what day the Absorbing was set to begin," Yao continued as Angelique gave Ludwig his tea, "However, they did not know that Ivan and Natalya would be unable to take the Marks they targeted."

"What Marks, if I may ask?" Angelique pried as she gave Yao his tea, "Also, is that Matthew and Alfred in that book there?"

"That is none of your business, Angelique," Yao refused, reaching over and shutting the book so that she couldn't look any closer, "Now, if you are done serving the tea, you can take your leave."

"Of course, sir, my apologies," Angelique obeyed, leaving the teapot on the table and taking the tray with her to the door, "That drawing doesn't do Matthew justice, by the way."

"Get out, you silly girl!" Yao ordered, pointing at the door that Angelique immediately rushed through in giggles, before turning back with his hand rubbing his forehead.

"What was that about?" Ludwig asked.

"Matthew carried firewood into that kitchen once with his shirt off, and four girls cut themselves while distracted from the vegetables," Yao explained, "He's been banned from the kitchen, and the girls have been idolizing him ever since."

"Too bad you kicked her out, she had some good questions," Gilbert said, "Now, what's this about targeting the wrong Marks?"

"Svetlana saw that the Absorbing would start exactly 1640 days after Natalya got her Mark," Ludwig resumed, "That lines up perfectly to when Berwald and Mikkel were killed and the Spade Timepiece froze. Their deaths were needed to start the Absorbing, but their Marks couldn't be taken as part of the Absorbing."

"Damn, looks like you were onto something there, Yao," Gilbert commented, "Did they figure out why?"

"Although their own Timepiece froze, they had nothing on the other Timepieces freezing," Ludwig explained, reopening the Ledger Yao had shut and turning several pages, "However, they figured out why when they matched up another piece of Svetlana's instructions to a pair of twins who became Spade Royals that night."

Ludwig found the page and passed it over, and Gilbert saw the drawing.

"Angelique was right, this is definitely Matthew and Alfred," Gilbert mused aloud, "Let me guess, Svetlana saw them in Guinevere's mind?"

"Not only that, but she even saw that Matthew was the rightful King," Yao reported, "Elizaveta's notes confirmed that they figured it out when they attended Alfred's coronation. Svetlana also saw that they would be key players in the Absorbing."

"Anything about the Intendeds or the switch in Diamonds?" Gilbert asked.

"Nothing yet," Ludwig replied, "Svetlana suspected Matthew and Alfred of being Intendeds, but nobody else is mentioned."

"Come to think of it, didn't Guinevere foresee Antonio and Lilli after Juliana forced Svetlana out of her mind?" Yao mentioned, "It's possible that Guinevere and Juliana were the only ones to know about the Diamond switch."

"That's a good question," Ludwig concurred, leaving through Svetlana's Ledger, "That would explain Ivan's comment about his attempt at taking Francis's Mark not going according to plan."

Ludwig halted as he reached several blank pages, and checked the front of the Ledger.

"This is the end of Svetlana's Ledger, she died shortly after drawing Matthew and Alfred. She didn't get to say much, but she made it count."

"So we can suspect that they had no idea about the Diamonds," Gilbert concluded as Yao went through the other Ledger.

"Here we go," Yao said as he found a section, "Elizaveta describes the attack on Diamonds. She was rather surprised when she was unable to find Juliana's Ledgers, as she used a spell that searched for her name in every Ledger in Lilli's study. On top of that, when Ivan got confused over not being able to take the Diamond Mark, Francis laughed in his face and revealed he had been the Ace all along."

"Ah, Francis, you certainly got the last laugh there," Gilbert chuckled, "That would also explain why Elizaveta and Natalya were being extra pissy at Antonio when he showed up in Hearts."

"Come to think of it, Antonio didn't know about the Spade switch until he died, didn't he?" Yao noted, "If you knew there was a switch in your Suit's Royals going into something like the Absorbing, wouldn't you try to find out if it happened in more than one Suit?"

"That makes perfect sense," Ludwig agreed, "He likely saw that, like with himself and Francis, another switched pair would've had to receive their Marks at the same time. Spades and Hearts each ended up with a pair of brothers who fit the bill."

"When Natalya killed Lovino, Antonio likely concluded that Hearts didn't have the other switch," Gilbert elaborated, "He understood that Natalya taking Lovino's Mark proved that he was also an Ace. The only pair left to check was Matthew and Alfred."

"When you returned to Spades, didn't Alfred help Antonio to a chair before Lilli tried to heal him?" Ludwig pointed out, "If Alfred was a King, he'd have taken Antonio's Mark right then."

"That's right," Gilbert said, "When Antonio gave Matthew his Mark, I heard him say 'I knew it would be you'. He possibly even know it before we returned, when he saw Ivan wanting to kill Matthew in Hearts."

"So, we can conclude that the Club Royals knew about both switches, and suspected that Matthew and Alfred are Intendeds," Ludwig recapped, "After today's show, I wouldn't be surprised if Elizaveta now knows that Lilli is also an Intended. That leaves the Intended Jack as their only uncertainty."

"That might be our only advantage, yes," Gilbert seconded, "Whatever happens next, both groups will have a fairly even matchup in terms of intelligence. We still have strength in numbers for now, at least, including two non-Intended Royals that can still have a say in how this all ends."

"I've already agreed to work with Feliciano on taking down Roderich," Yao disclosed, "We'll need to think of something clever to outwit him. I understand I may not survive, but I will help Feliciano and the others while I can."

"In other words, you've given up on surviving this," Ludwig criticized.

"I have not given up, I am merely looking at this with another perspective," Yao explained, "The Intendeds are meant to bring peace and unity to the Deck, and any non-Intendeds who survive in the place of an Intended will hurt the potential. I have considered the possibilities under which you and I would survive, and I can see flaws with each scenario."

"This sounds intriguing," Gilbert said, "Please, do tell."

"As we all know, Lilli and Alfred are the only feasible choices for Queen and Ace, as the only other options are Usurpers," Yao illustrated, "It is the King and Jack that are in flux as there are still two options for each: myself or Feliciano as the Jack, then Ludwig or Matthew as the King. If we first consider the scenario where Matthew and I both survive, that would result in the surviving group having 3 Spade Royals. If we then tried to go to the other Suits and proclaim to the citizens that we now rule everyone, they wouldn't see a balanced selection of Royals. They would see an aggressive dictatorship by Spades, with Lilli betraying Diamonds."

"I can certainly imagine that happening in Hearts or Clubs, especially with those who remember the Mad Queen trying to take over the Deck," Ludwig said, "So that option is definitely out."

"Yes, and the only other combination where I survive is if you are King instead of Matthew," Yao continued, "We would have the balance of the three Suits represented, and we would be able to make it work, but it is still flawed. If you and I both survive, then Matthew and Feliciano both have to die. Alfred would be devastated over losing Matthew, and I am pretty sure you would miss Feliciano."

"I should add in that Lilli and Matthew are pretty much an item by now," Gilbert noted, "She would also be heartbroken if Matthew was killed."

"Although they show it in different ways, Matthew and Feliciano are the emotional glue that is keeping us all from losing hope," Yao clarified, "As strong and intelligent as we may both be, Ludwig, we cannot replace both of them."

"So, that counts out the two scenarios where you survive," Ludwig dismissed, "That leaves us with the scenario where Feliciano survives, but I take Matthew's place."

"To be fair, I see this as the combination that would be most successful if an Intended were not to survive," Yao revealed, "We would still have Feliciano there to keep the peace, and you are very experienced as a King. However, as much as you may not want to hear it, the flaw here lies with how you lack the kindness and humility needed for being an Intended."

"What makes you say that?" Ludwig asked.

"You were a soldier, serving under King Gupta and Ace Heracles, before you got your Mark and became King," Yao described, "Although you have ruled well, you've done so in a very authoritative manner. If you are to unite the Deck, you will have to work with the people of the other Suits, and you have to be adaptable and willing to cooperate, which I honestly think you are not. You are more likely to lay down laws and refuse to budge, making you appear to the citizens as a tyrant instead of a true leader. On the other hand, Matthew and Alfred were orphans, living destitute on the streets, when they were taken in. They saw the difficulties of life at a young age, and they never lost sight of what is important. Even now, Matthew is incredibly humble, truly appreciating this privileged upbringing that he wouldn't have had otherwise. Whenever we go into the city, he always give coins to the poor children on the streets that remind him of his childhood. Yes, he is brave and intelligent, and will stand his ground with incredible strength when he needs to. However, his kindness and humility will allow him to listen to what the citizens need, and he will do what he can to help as many people as possible. That is what the Deck will need, a King that can break down the rivalries, bring everyone together, and lead a united realm."

"In other words, the Deck is better off if I die and he is King," Ludwig summarized, "Do you really believe that Matthew can handle it better than I can?"

"I know you may not want to hear it, but I certainly do," Yao defended, "When I first arrived here and met the boys, I questioned why they were taking the risk of training the boys while keeping them hidden in plain sight. Berwald told me how he believed the imprints of their Spade Marks must be a sign that they would be among the strongest Royals Spades would ever see. As we now know with the Absorbing, this turned out to be absolutely true. I have watched these boys come into their own over the last three years, and I have faith in them. This group of Intendeds is what the Deck needs. We should be helping them achieve this, whatever the cost."

Ludwig rose from his seat, and walked out of the room without saying a word. Once the door was shut, Yao turned to Gilbert.

"Do you think I pushed that too far, Gilbert?"

"No, I don't think so, Yao. You were right about everything, Matthew is better suited as the Intended King. Ludwig just needs time to consider where he stands in all this."

"He's not a threat to Matthew, is he?"

"I'm not sure. I hope he at least backs down on the issue in favour of dealing with Ivan when the time comes. If they can work together to bring down Ivan, like you and Feliciano are planning with Roderich, I think there is still hope for a peaceful resolution. It's up to Ludwig, though. He's always been a soldier at heart, and he will not step aside and let someone else decide his fate for him."

Yao nodded, before taking one last sip of his tea. Gilbert looked at the Ledger again, and realized that one more question hadn't been answered.

"Hey, Yao, why would Matthew be walking through the kitchen with his shirt off?"

Yao choked on his tea, and shot Gilbert a look.

"It was a hot day late in the summer, and Matthew worked up a sweat while chopping the firewood," Yao said, "After that incident, only Alfred ever worked in the kitchens, and we would send Matthew to the stables."

"What a pity for the girls. Still, I suppose it explains why you have stayed single for so long."

"How do you figure that, Gilbert?"

"Why bother finding anyone else when you could see Matthew shirtless whenever you want?"

"Oh, screw off."

Gilbert merely laughed as the Jack stood up and left the room. If Matthew was indeed the most dashing young man in Spades, then perhaps Lilli was luckier at getting him than he was at wooing her.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _As I warned, another long chapter with a lot to cover. Now, we have all the intelligence portions in place, and we can start guessing what will happen next._**


	39. Chapter 39

After finding his brother's room empty, Alfred walked down the hallway towards the lounge where Matthew was supposedly having tea with Lilli. After his ride yesterday, he went to check on his brother, finding him sleeping at the time. Since the healers had everything under control, he took his leave without getting to talk to Matthew.

Although the grey clouds in the sky made the hallways dark enough to match his sombre mood, Alfred was feeling better than before. Feliciano's words of wisdom and support had helped him immensely in coming to terms with Arthur's death.

Reaching the right door, he gave a small knock before entering, and saw Matthew and Lilli on one of the sofas.

"Alfred, there you are," Matthew welcomed, "I was hoping to see you."

"Hey Mattie, how are you feeling?" Alfred asked as he walked to the chair by his brother.

"Still a few aches and pains, but Lilli's healing powers are doing me wonders," Matthew answered as he stood and pulled Alfred close for a hug, "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you, Al. You must be having a rough time."

"It's okay, Mattie," Alfred replied, "I should apologize for not staying by your side yesterday."

"You're forgiven, Al."

"You two are so sweet," Lilli cooed as the boys finished their hug and let go.

"So, how are you doing, Lilli?" Alfred asked, taking his seat and grabbing a spare teacup from the table, "You look like you've been recovering well."

"Still a bit of a headache like Matthew's, but we should both be fully healed by the end of the day," Lilli responded, "How are you doing, Alfred? Matthew told me how close Arthur was to you."

"It's tough, but I'm getting through it," Alfred confessed, "Feliciano was a real help yesterday, he was able to console me and get me out of my despair."

"That's good to hear," Lilli approved, "Feliciano is known for brightening up a room with his smile."

"He's a lot wiser than I expected," Alfred disclosed, "He seemed to know exactly what I needed to hear to put my mind at ease."

"That's very impressive," Matthew commented as the door opened and Yao entered the room.

"Good morning, everyone," he greeted as he sat by Alfred, "I see you are all doing much better."

"Yes, we are, thank you," Matthew accepted.

"I think it would be worthwhile to take a look at Svetlana's Ledgers this afternoon, depending on how everyone else is feeling," Lilli suggested, "We should figure out what they know, and decide what to do next."

"Ludwig and I already got the chance while you were all recovering yesterday," Yao revealed, "Svetlana saw that Clubs would have no Intendeds, so she prepared the Usurpers as much as she could, even providing them a clue to start their research eight years before the Absorbing would begin."

"What do the Club Royals know?" Matthew encouraged.

"Almost as much as we did, some things shared by Svetlana and other things figured out along the way," Yao reported, "For example, although they didn't know about the switch in Diamonds, they knew about you two here in Spades."

"Wait, they knew?" Alfred gasped.

"Unfortunately, yes," Yao elaborated, "Svetlana saw the two of you when reading Guinevere's mind, and drew a sketch of you in her Ledger. She left enough clues recognizing you and your true ranks, and Elizaveta made the connection when they crashed the coronation."

"So much for trying to fool them," Matthew said, "What else did they know the entire time?"

"Although they knew there would be Intendeds, they do not know how to identify them," Yao continued, "They also didn't know about the other freezing Timepieces, which is why they thought it would be possible to take Spade Marks from Berwald and Mikkel."

"So, the start of the Absorbing was dependent on their deaths, only because Alfred and Matthew would receive their Marks and freeze the Timepiece at the same time?" Lilli attempted to summarize.

"Precisely."

Yao was interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by Emil rushing into the room with a paper in his hand.

"I beg your pardon, your Majesties, but have you seen Gilbert anywhere?"

"Not yet this morning, but I can summon him," Lilli offered.

"Please do."

Gilbert suddenly appeared a moment later, wrapping his arm around Emil's shoulders.

"What's up, Emil?" Gilbert asked.

"That power that Peter used to figure out where the Clubs are, do you have that too?"

"Sure do, why do you ask?"

"This letter just arrived from Raivis Gallante, an old friend of mine. He says that the Club Royals are on their way to Spades, and that I should get out of here while I have time."

Alfred raised his eyebrows in surprise as Gilbert paused in shock before speaking again.

"That's not good, let me find them."

"Who's Raivis?" Alfred quizzed as Gilbert concentrated on his telepathic powers, "Can he be trusted?"

"He works for King Ivan at the Clubs castle as an advisor," Yao explained, "He's a bit timid, but he's a voice of reason among the ambitious ones out there."

"He's also been a friend of mine for many years," Emil defended, "He's taking a huge risk, going against Ivan to warn me of their possible arrival."

"Raivis is telling the truth, the Club Royals are approaching the Spades border," Gilbert declared, "If they ride through the night, they would be here in the morning."

"Gilbert, go get Ludwig and Feliciano, we need to have a meeting right now." Matthew ordered.

Gilbert immediately disappeared, leaving Emil standing there.

"Bare in mind that I'm just asking this out of curiousity, Emil," Matthew checked, "What are the odds of you listening to Raivis's advice?"

"Not a chance, so don't bother trying to start the conversation again," Emil swore, "The only way I'll part ways with you is over my dead body, ideally gutted by Natalya."

"Well, that's a lovely visual," Yao quipped as Gilbert returned with Ludwig and Feliciano in tow.

"Gilbert told us what's going on," Feliciano immediately said, "What should we do?"

"If it were open warfare, assembling your soldiers at the Spade military base in Trondheim would be the best move," Ludwig advised, "However, Gilbert says it is only the four Club Royals coming."

"Getting the army involved could be overkill," Lilli added on, "The Club Royals want to kill us specifically. As we saw when they attacked Diamonds and Hearts, they will just kill anyone else in their path."

"We won't risk the soldiers, then," Matthew said, "The Club Royals only want us, and they already know we are all here. I believe the Club Royals are coming here to complete the Absorbing, and we should make sure it doesn't go in their favour."

"You want to face them," Gilbert put forward, "You want to fight."

"I want to finish this," Matthew confirmed, "The Club Royals have already killed too many people in their quest for power, and we need to stop them. I say we hold our ground here, and rise to their challenge. What do you all say?"

The entire group paused, and Alfred chose to speak next.

"I'm with you all the way, Mattie, even if it means I have to dodge Natalya's daggers."

"I may not be a Royal, but I'm not leaving your side," Emil vowed.

"Neither will I, and this is the right time to face them," Lilli pledged.

"We know this castle better than anyone, there must be ways we can use that to our advantage," Yao endorsed.

"I like the plan," Feliciano approved, "We fight them here."

"It's not like we have the time to get to Trondheim and plan a strategy there, so this is our best bet." Gilbert admitted.

Everyone paused, and looked at the one person who had yet to speak.

"Ludwig, what do you think?" Matthew asked, "Should we fight them here?"

Ludwig had paused in thought, before nodding.

"Considering the situation, fighting them here is our best option."

"That makes it a unanimous vote," Matthew finalized, "We will stay here and challenge them."

"I will get the castle blueprints from the King's study," Emil offered as he swiftly left the room.

"Who will all fight, then?" Gilbert brought up, "As you have all pointed out, having the guards fight in Diamonds and Hearts was no help."

"Even if we can't use them all, surely it would be wise to keep some soldiers on hand," Yao urged.

"I don't want to put any soldiers on the front line," Matthew countered, "This fight is specifically between the Royals, anyone else caught in a Club Royal's path will be pulverized."

"What would you suggest, then?" Ludwig asked.

"We empty the castle."

Alfred choked on his tea before finding his voice again.

"Mattie, have you lost your mind?"

"This is not their fight, and I will not make them risk their lives for this," Matthew explained, "We should send all the soldiers, advisors and servants as far from the castle as they can overnight. When the Club Royals arrive tomorrow, we will be the only ones here."

"Some will likely resist," Yao predicted, "Even if it is for their own safety, some will rather lay their lives on the line for you boys."

"We can send them to Trondheim," Lilli suggested in approval, "Perhaps we can arrange a form of communication to report when it is safe for them to return."

"Many of the servants have family in the city," Alfred highlighted, "If we allow them to go home and stay there until they hear from the castle, their grapevine would be put to good use for once."

"As crazy as that sounds, it just might work," Ludwig supported, "The less people there are in the castle, the more control we would have of the situation."

"If we include Emil and Gilbert, there would be the eight of us against the four Club Royals," Lilli brought forward as Emil came back into the room, "How would we manage the entire castle on our own?"

"It is definitely possible, if we plan it out right," Emil assured as he rolled out a chart of the castle grounds, "There are four main areas to keep an eye on: the main floor, the upper floor, the servant quarters and the gardens."

"Why would the gardens be of concern?" Feliciano asked.

"There's a hidden entrance to the castle grounds at the back of the gardens," Emil elaborated, "Back when we revolted against Queen Margriet, I led Ace Sadiq through that passage with some Club soldiers when sneaking them into the castle. I'd be surprised if Sadiq didn't tell the other Club Royals about this hidden entrance before his death."

"I keep forgetting that, at 9 years old, you were a key player in taking down the Mad Queen," Ludwig remembered.

"I keep forgetting that you two are the same age," Alfred chuckled.

"Emil is right, we should certainly keep an eye on the gardens," Matthew agreed, "The other two entrances to the castle grounds are the main entrance at the front, and the small servant's entrance at the side, so having us patrol all floors of the castle is a good idea."

"If there are eight of us with four main areas to patrol, then splitting up into pairs is a good idea," Feliciano suggested, "We can cover more ground that way, and we could fight two-on-one battles if the Club Royals split up."

"We shouldn't put Intendeds together," Lilli warned, "Whoever I am paired with wouldn't help me with Elizaveta if they're already fighting another Club Royal."

"By a similar logic, Feliciano and I can't pair up, neither can Matthew and Ludwig," Yao cautioned, "Ivan and Roderich would try to turn it into a three-way battle."

"Ivan especially," Ludwig muttered.

"If I may request it, Gilbert should be paired with me," Lilli submitted, "His use of magic would be helpful in fighting Elizaveta."

"Emil and I both know the servant's quarters better than the rest of you," Alfred suggested, "Maybe we should pair up and cover that area."

"That leaves combinations of Jacks and Kings," Ludwig analyzed, "Given our restrictions, that would put me with Feliciano, and Yao with Matthew. That could definitely work."

"We'll need to set up some communication between us," Matthew recommended, "Both our pairs will want to know where Ivan and Roderich end up."

"Yao and I can come up with something," Feliciano acknowledged, "We've been thinking of ways to take on Roderich already, so we'll have to add this element to our plans."

"Matthew and Yao should take the gardens, as they will know those paths better than the rest of us," Lilli suggested, "Gilbert and I can take the main floor of the castle, with the throne room as our base."

"That would leave the upper floor to Ludwig and Feliciano," Yao determined, "I have a few ideas for communication between us, if that is the case."

"Sounds like we have our strategy prepared," Gilbert concluded, "We should have everything organized before we go to sleep tonight. I can run around and get things if needed."

"I already have something you can help me with, Gilbert," Lilli accepted.

"We should all make preparations for how we want to monitor our areas," Matthew instructed, "You can all get started while Alfred, Emil and I get everyone else out of here."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _I really procrastinated on this chapter, so hopefully I didn't miss any major grammatical errors. Let's just say that Pokemon Go is addictive. Just one more set-up chapter before we get into a Battle Royale…._**


	40. Chapter 40

Emil found himself having to stand to the side of the hallways more often than expected. He was attempting to scope out the servant corridors to come up with ideas for tomorrow, but everyone else was frantically rushing around preparing to leave.

While Matthew had gone to the yard to speak to the soldiers, Alfred and Emil had gone to the servants quarters and told Rosa what was going on. With the housekeeper's help, they were able to quickly spread the evacuation order to all the servants, who were now packing what they needed and preparing to leave by dusk. Several had already departed, heading into the city to stay with family, while others were going to travel with the soldiers to Trondheim.

Emil made it to one of the outside doors, and observed the area surrounding the servant entrance to the castle grounds. There were several sheds around with the castle's stores of food and supplies, and he realized that a Club Royal could try to weave around them, working their way to a few small doors along the castle wall. With the way the hallways could twist around inside, Emil realized that Alfred may have bit off more than they can chew.

Emil went back inside, and found his way to the kitchen. Although a few things remained on the counter from the preparation of lunches, the servants had abandoned the room entirely. As he circled the counters, Emil realized that he would probably have to take care of the meals, along with watching over and fighting any Club Royals that dared venture his terrain.

His thoughts were interrupted as Angelique walked in, carrying a basket with two chickens and some vegetables.

"Angelique, what are you doing?" Emil asked, "You should get out of here with the others."

"I have no family in the city, and I would be more useful here than at Trondheim," Angelique answered.

"We're sending you all away because it isn't safe for you here," Emil insisted.

"I'm not a fool, Emil, I know what's going on," Angelique contended, "I heard Ludwig, Yao and Gilbert talking about the Absorbing yesterday, and I got Rosa to spill the beans on what you told her. I know you're planning to fight the Club Royals, and I want to stay and help."

"If a Club Royal finds you, they will try to kill you," Emil warned, "I know you've all heard of the massacres in Diamonds and Hearts, and we don't want lives lost that way here."

"I understand, but you need the help down here," Angelique countered, "For one, there's too many ways through these halls for you to monitor them without backup. Secondly, even though some of you Royals might vaguely remember how to cook, none of you have spent quality time in the kitchens over the past few years."

"You really shouldn't try to talk her out of it, Emil," Steven added as he strolled in "She's dead set on helping you boys, and so am I."

"What do you think you're doing?" Emil asked, noting the arm filled with wood.

"Loading the firewood, of course," Steven quipped, "I agree with Angelique, you boys will need help down here. I'm staying too, whether it's just for doing Angelique's heavy lifting or holding Ace Natalya's daggers away from me until Alfred shows up."

"Ugh, is there anyone else I should know about?" Emil groaned.

"It's just the two of us," Steven said, "Everyone else is happy with leaving you here."

"Okay, you can get those meals started, but that doesn't mean you're staying," Emil compromised, "Alfred will need to approve this plan, while Yao and Matthew will also likely have a say."

"Thank you, Emil," Angelique said.

Emil left the kitchen and worked his way up to the main castle floor. Noting the several connecting hallways, he realized that Angelique may have had a point there.

Having them stay could be used in their strategies.

* * *

Ludwig stood on the upper floor balcony, overlooking the gardens. The balcony stretched most of the side of the castle, and was lined with fire-burning beacons that Ludwig had often seen used for lighting the castle after dusk for large festivals. The storm clouds were rolling in, but it had yet to start raining. He felt as though the weather matched his mind.

Ivan was definitely coming, and bringing potential for a large battle with it, just like the clouds. However, it was possible that the clouds could set up thunder and lightning, which represented concerns over Matthew. Ludwig knew that Ivan was the primary concern, but he couldn't trust Matthew to not take advantage of the chaos. He couldn't guarantee when or if Matthew would challenge him for the Heart King's Mark.

His thoughts were interrupted as the balcony door behind him was opened, so he turned to see Matthew and a well-built servant standing there, arms filled with wood.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ludwig," Matthew apologized, "Are we disturbing you?"

"No, not at all," Ludwig countered, "Go on with what you were doing."

"Thank you, your Majesty," the servant acknowledged, "All five of these, Matthew?"

"Yes, all five beacons need to be ready to go," Matthew ordered, bringing his pile of wood to the centre one by Ludwig, "You and Angelique will need to make sure that oil and a lit torch are available at each of these balcony doors, in case Ludwig is running to dodge arrows."

"Will do," the servant accepted, "I'll also get some covers for the wood here, in case there is a storm overnight. Would be a shame if the wood is damp in the morning."

"Good thinking," Matthew commended, "Thanks, Steven."

"So, why would I be lighting these beacons?" Ludwig asked as Steven dumped his wood by a beacon and rushed off.

"Yao came up with this alert system for if you and Feliciano find Roderich and we find Ivan," Matthew explained, "We would work our way from the outside in, you from one side and Yao from the other. If you find Roderich, light the first one. If he ends up fighting Feliciano, light the second as well. Yao will light from the other direction if we find Ivan and I fight him."

"What of the middle one here?"

"This one can be shared, as it can only mean death. If Yao lights it, it will mean that I've been killed. If Feliciano is killed, you must light this one to tell us."

"What if Feli and I find Ivan instead of Roderich?"

"Having the Jacks shoot arrows as fireworks will be used in that case. If you are fighting Ivan, Feliciano can get to a balcony and fire an alert into the sky, and Yao can send a reply with what we are dealing with."

"What of Elizaveta and Natalya?"

"If the girls make it to the upper floor, they'd only be of concern if they are teamed up with one of the others. They wouldn't bother killing either of you if Ivan or Roderich weren't around to take your Marks. However, if you did find them, you should alert the others. Telepathy would work for telling Gilbert of Elizaveta's location, while the servant bells in each room connect to the servant quarters in case you find Natalya."

"And if the other pairs run into Ivan or Roderich?"

"That will be up to Gilbert to spread the word, including anything that Alfred needs to report. Those two pairs can cover most of their communication together, since their primary concerns are where Elizaveta and Natalya end up. The tricky bit is with our pairs, since all four of us will want to know where Ivan and Roderich end up. The beacons and fireworks will save us from distracting Gilbert too much, since he'll need to help Lilli with Elizaveta, but he is always a backup plan if we can't contact each other."

"I'm pleasantly surprised, Matthew. These plans are very thorough."

Matthew chuckled.

"Well, Ludwig, I'm pleased to hear that they passed your inspection."

"What makes you say that?"

"You were a soldier. A war hero who suddenly found a Heart Mark on the leg that was about to be amputated. Alfred and I were only 11 years old when you became King, so we were able to look to you as an example for how to rule a kingdom. These past eight years, Emil's quiz questions for us would often involve what-if scenarios involving you wanting something for Hearts."

"You boys looked up to me?"

"We sure did. Alfred was getting a bit rebellious at that point, while I was dealing with fears of being in the spotlight and taking responsibility for what I would decide for a kingdom. Seeing a brave young soldier like you come in and take over Hearts was inspirational for both of us."

Matthew paused to look out at the gardens, and Ludwig decided it was worthwhile to test the waters.

"I'm sure you realize what I intend to do tomorrow, Matthew. If I meet Ivan, I will try to take his Mark. I may not be an Intended, but that doesn't mean I have to work for you."

"I figured that might be the case."

"I will protect Feliciano from Roderich if that ends up happening, and I can certainly keep an eye on these beacons if they are needed. However, if I fight Ivan, I'll send Feliciano your way."

"Are you really sure you want to fight alone?"

"I would want my duel with Ivan to be one-on-one, it's the only way I'd be satisfied with the outcome. I appreciate that you and Feliciano are offering to help, but I don't want any interference. Feliciano would get in the way, and I still can't trust that you won't stab me in the back."

"I will not betray you, Ludwig. I really don't want to kill the Royal I admired for years, even if you threaten to take my Marks."

"You don't have to want to kill me in order to do it, though. You said yourself that you want to complete the Absorbing."

"I said the killing needs to end, and the Club Royals need to be taken out, but that doesn't mean you need to die immediately as well. If we were both to survive, I'd much rather keep you around as an advisor. Getting the four Suits to agree to unite will take some work, and you know Hearts very well."

Ludwig paused in shock, he wasn't expecting that.

"You would want my help?"

"If you're willing to give it, of course. I may be an Intended King, but even Alfred's three months as a decoy King don't measure to your eight years of rule. You would be able to oversee the changes in government, and possibly help ease the minds of your citizens. Then, only when you are ready to, we could find a way to complete the Absorbing."

"In other words, you'd help me settle my affairs and royal duties before killing me."

"Well, that's one way to put it, but I'd like to think I'm nicer than that."

Ludwig chuckled.

"As much as I see how Berwald and Mikkel influenced you, there is definitely a touch of Tino in there."

Matthew laughed.

"There's probably a bit of Lukas in there as well, but I would need Emil's help to find out which part. I'd say the wit, but Berwald definitely influenced that too."

"If I may say so, Matthew, I think they did a fine job, getting you ready to be royalty. You and Alfred turned out fantastically."

"Thank you, Ludwig, I really appreciate that."

"You're welcome, Matthew."

Matthew let out a deep breath before moving back towards the door.

"Well, there's plenty for me to do, so I should get going. If you need anything, just let us know."

Ludwig nodded, and watched as Matthew went back inside before turning back to the gardens. As he gazed out, he noticed a silver lining on one of the clouds, and decided to take it as a good sign.

Perhaps Matthew really could be trusted after all.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _I'm pleasantly surprised to see that this chapter racked up over 2,000 words, I was stuck at 700 before my full attention was given this evening. As I warned, a little perspective on Ludwig's POV about all this, he is determined to fully control what happens to him. The scene with the servants is a bit new, and that's for an element I will be adding in the next couple chapters. And yes, as I previously said, Chapter 41 will have some Clubs in it..._**


	41. Chapter 41

Elizaveta stared out the window at the trees, waiting as they passed through the small forest that bordered the Spades Castle. Their carriage had reached the forest early at dawn, so they sent out Roderich and Natalya to their stations at the other entrances. The two Club Royals would coordinate their entry of the castle grounds for the same time Ivan and Elizaveta would arrive.

"I wonder how surprised they will be," Ivan commented, distracting Elizaveta from the trees.

"I highly doubt they know we're coming," Elizaveta assured, "Providing, of course, that your little rat didn't talk again."

"For the last time, Elizaveta, Ravis is not a rat," Ivan insisted, "He's too shy and timid to consider going against us. It is merely a coincidence that he is an old friend of Emil's."

"Of course, darling," Elizaveta answered, noticing the trees outside suddenly turn into the fields surrounding the castle. As they passed through the outside walls, she noticed that there was nobody standing guard.

"No soldiers on duty?" Ivan mused aloud, spotting the same thing.

"And here I was, expecting to kill an army before I could even find Lilli," Elizaveta quipped, "Are you certain Raivis didn't talk?"

Ivan merely deadpanned and answered her with a glare, and Elizaveta knew not to push the issue. The carriage reached the main entrance of the castle and stopped.

"Hello?" Elizaveta heard Toris call, "Is anyone there?"

"Does he really need to reveal that we are here?" Elizaveta groaned.

"Well, at least there isn't a fanfare announcing our arrival this time," Ivan quipped, "Of course, that in itself is suspicious."

The carriage door opened, but Toris blocked the way out.

"There isn't a soul in sight, your Majesties, not a single servant or guard," Toris warned, "Are you sure you want to come out?"

"It could mean there's a trap inside," Elizaveta added on, "This changes the plans."

"Yes, but not our goals, and I think we can handle it," Ivan stated, "Out of the way, Toris."

'Yes, your Majesty," Toris acknowledged, backing away so that Ivan could climb out. Elizaveta followed her King out, and wasn't alarmed to see that Toris's report was true. The grounds were utterly deserted, although there wasn't anything that looked as if it had been dropped in a rush to escape.

"This place looks too tidy for everyone to have dropped their things and ran off," Elizaveta noted, "If they are all gone, they had time to coordinate their departure."

"I agree, my dear, it looks like they knew what was coming," Ivan concurred, "Toris, stay with the coach."

"Yes, your Majesty," Toris said.

As Toris stayed back, Elizaveta climbed the steps of the stairs by Ivan's side, and they paused at the top just in front of the doors. Elizaveta summoned her magic, preparing to cast a shield in their defense against a flurry of arrows, and watched closely as Ivan opened the doors.

Elizaveta cast her shield, but nothing hit it. After a few moments, she dropped the magic and looked around as they strolled into the main hall.

"Deserted as well," Ivan remarked, closely watching in every direction, "Normally the advisors would be preparing for court right now."

"I really don't like this," Elizaveta said, keeping her magic ready, "It feels as though we could be ambushed at any moment."

"This room is empty, at least, unless there are archers in the balconies above us. Shall we explore and see who we can find?"

"That sounds good to me."

Elizaveta linked her arm in Ivan's, and he led her through the main hall. As they reached the grand stairwell to the upper floor, she stopped Ivan as she noticed it.

To the left, a small flower made of orange magic appeared to be growing from the marble floor.

"A flower?" Ivan asked as Elizaveta approached it and knelt down to touch it, "Would that be Diamonds magic at work?"

"Not just any flower, a lily," Elizaveta observed, "This is obviously her doing."

"Look ahead, my dear," Ivan guided, stepping past Elizaveta, "There's a trail of them, heading to the doors of the throne room."

"She's leading me to her," Elizaveta analyzed, "The little flower is waiting for me."

"Their throne room is designed for traps," Ivan pointed out, "We'll need to be very cautious."

"I'll summon another shield while you open the door, darling," Elizaveta directed as she stood up.

The pair walked quietly towards the door, and Ivan stepped ahead as Elizaveta prepared her shield. Before Ivan could touch the door, it suddenly opened on its own. He quickly backed away, and Elizaveta noticed the orange magic that was responsible for the unexpected welcome. Summoning her shield as a precaution, Elizaveta stepped forward and entered the throne room. No flurry of soldiers or weapons came forth like she expected, but the Spade Thrones were occupied.

Gilbert was splayed across the King's Throne in a horribly undignified manner, leaning back with his arms stretched behind his head and his legs drooping off the right armrest. To his left, Lilli was sitting properly, but Elizaveta was curious about her outfit. Instead of the standard outfit with just one Royal colour, she wore a blue bodice that extended down the length of her skirt, with a simple orange frock layered underneath. However, it was the sapphire-studded tiara on Lilli's head that earned Elizaveta's attention.

"What in the Deck do you think you're wearing?" Elizaveta scolded as she reached the middle of the room.

"Oh, do you like the dress?" Lilli asked with a mockingly sweet smile, "Angelique found it in one of the old rooms, we believe it might have been Queen Margriet's. It works well with orange, don't you think?"

"I don't bloody care about the dress!" Elizaveta snapped, "I bear the Spade Queen's Mark, so that's my Crown!"

"Considering the circumstances, having a Spade Mark doesn't mean you're the rightful Queen of Spades," Lilli countered, "As the Intended Queen of the Deck, I outrank you."

"Before this catfight can continue, may I ask where everyone is?" Ivan interrupted, "The grounds and halls are void of life."

"We sent them all away," Gilbert disclosed, "King Matthew didn't want a repeat of what you did in Diamonds and Hearts."

"You know we were coming," Elizaveta accused.

"Of course we did," Gilbert confirmed, "Matthew and Ludwig are waiting to see who gets to fight Ivan first."

"Speaking of the three Kings, Gilbert, we should really get on with this," Lilli suggested, giving Gilbert a look, "Unless you want to fight King Ivan yourself, of course."

"I'm on it," Gilbert agreed, before disappearing from the throne. Elizaveta looked around, watching for any apparition of the Joker, before her eyes rested on the Club King.

The Joker was already holding Ivan's scarf, and they disappeared within the blink of an eye.

"Where did the fool just take him?" Elizaveta asked, turning back to Lilli only to see Gilbert suddenly return to the Diamond Queen's side.

"We kicked him out and sealed the doors," Lilli explained, rising from her seat, "The Diamond magic on all the exits won't lift until one of us has all four Queen Marks."

"So this is our final challenge, then?" Elizaveta guessed, "You against me, winner takes all, and Gilbert stays out of the way?"

"Sorry, I'm biased," Gilbert refused, summoning his Scythe while Lilli prepared her own magic.

"This will be two against one," Lilli ruled, "Shall we begin?"

* * *

Natalya observed the servant gate from the tree line in confusion. She had gone out of her way to steal a brown cloak and white apron from a nearby farm, as well as a basket of wool, in order to disguise herself as a servant. However, when she arrived, there wasn't anyone there to slip past.

Suspecting a trap inside the gate, she covered her head and walked out onto the path. Although both hands were gripping the basket, she had a dagger in easy reach. As she walked through the gate, her suspicions only increased. The yard was empty, save for the squawking from nearby chickens. Natalya dropped the basket and walked towards the servant's entrance on the other side of a particular chicken shed, carefully watching in every direction.

She stopped by the shed, and peered around the corner. A girl with brown hair in pigtails was feeding the chickens, blocking the route to the door. Natalya quietly slipped around the backside of the shed, going the other way. As she came around, she only had a few feet of space to clear between the shed and the door. She leaned up against the shed, ready to look around and take another peak.

It was right at that moment when the girl walked by with her pail of chicken feed, stopped at the door, and turned to look at her.

"You're Ace Natalya, aren't you?" the girl asked warily, eyes widening in fear.

So much for stealth. Natalya gave the girl a smile as she pulled off her hood with her left hand, while reaching with her right hand for the dagger.

"Well, aren't you a smart one," Natalya teased, allowing her smile to become sadistic and menacing as she revealed the dagger, "Would the pretty girl like to play with me?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, let's play a game," the girl stuttered, reaching her hand into the pail, "How about tag? You're it!"

Before Natalya could react, the girl pulled out a brass handheld bell from the pail, then tossed the chicken feed at Natalya's face. While Natalya backed off in shock and brushed away the pebbles, the girl bolted inside, ringing the bell and shouting at what sounded like the top of her lungs.

"SHE'S HERE! ACE NATALYA IS HERE!"

"You little bitch!" Natalya yelled as she went after her, "I'll pulverize you into chicken feed!"

Natalya marched through the door and down the hallway, keeping an eye on every door in case someone tried a surprise attack. Although she realized the girl may be leading her into a trap, Natalya followed the ringing bell, determined to find someone to gut.

Natalya reached a turn and went left, noticing the girl duck down another hallway at the end. As she approached, the bell stopped ringing and a familiar voice joined the girl's.

"Angelique, where is she?"

"Down that way!"

Natalya summoned her Axe as she approached the turn with her dagger in her right hand. She took the turn and swung the Axe, making impact with a sword. She continued swinging her Axe and dagger at Emil, who replied by blocking her blows with a sword in each hand, and Natalya forced him backwards into the hallway step after step. Within a couple minutes, she had his back to the wall, and pinned him there with her dagger at his throat.

"You haven't been practicing, Emil," Natalya taunted, "What a shame, Sadiq would be so disappointed in you."

"Well, I can't train for combat every day like you do," Emil argued, "I use that time to manage the castle. You know, a job that actually requires using your brain."

Before Natalya could push the blade any further into his throat, a loud wolf whistle sounded from the other end of the hallway. As Natalya frowned in confusion, she noticed Emil rolling his eyes.

"Damn, Emil," the most annoying voice in the world teased, "I didn't know you like being dominated by crazy, sadistic she-devils!"

"Was that really necessary?" Emil asked as Natalya replaced the dagger with her Axe.

"I was planning to sneak up on her, but this is a lot more fun," Alfred explained as Natalya turned to face him, holding the axblade at Emil's throat.

"You are, without a doubt, the most annoying idiot I have ever met," Natalya told the Ace, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm busy."

"You really don't want to be killing Emil, you know," Alfred warned as Natalya turned away.

"And why not?" she challenged, "I can slit his throat now, and still be ready to defend myself from an attack by you."

"Because, last I checked, he doesn't have the Spade Ace's Mark," Alfred pointed out as he summoned his own Axe, "Why waste your time with him when you can fight me to the death?"

Natalya looked between the two boys in consideration before making her move. Putting her dagger back in its sheath for a moment, she lowered the Axe from Emil's throat. However, before he could try anything, Natalya swung a punch at his nose, making him crumble to the floor groaning in pain.

"What was that for?" Alfred questioned, holding his Axe in a ready position.

"Just making sure he doesn't interfere," Natalya explained as she approached the Ace of Spades, shaking the blood off her hand before reaching behind her for the dagger, "Now, bring it on, golden boy."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Having Seychelles throw a bucket of chicken feed at Belarus wasn't originally planned, but it became fantastic the moment I thought of it. And yes, that is Arthur's tiara that Lilli is wearing, which is technically Elizaveta's right now because she bears the Spade Mark, but it's not like Matthew would allow Elizaveta to be his Queen in Lilli's place anyways._**


	42. Chapter 42

Unlike Elizaveta's obvious irritation, Ivan found Lilli's outfit to be quite interesting. He wouldn't have thought of combining the Suit colours as a method for pissing off his Club Queen, but it certainly worked well. As he listened in, Ivan also surmised that annoying Elizaveta could also backfire on the Diamond Queen.

Of course, they had yet to discuss a certain topic.

"Before this catfight can continue, may I ask where everyone is?" Ivan inquired, pausing the failing negotiations between the two Queens, "The grounds and halls are void of life."

"We sent them all away," Gilbert disclosed, "King Matthew didn't want a repeat of what you did in Diamonds and Hearts."

"You know we were coming," Elizaveta accused.

"Of course we did," Gilbert confirmed, "Matthew and Ludwig are waiting to see who gets to fight Ivan first."

"Speaking of the three Kings, Gilbert, we should really get on with this," Lilli suggested, giving Gilbert a look, "Unless you want to fight King Ivan yourself, of course."

Ivan's smile grew at that. Even though it would be a distraction from taking the King Marks, fighting the Joker would be quite fun.

The smile faltered when Ivan realized that Gilbert was no longer at Lilli's side, and he felt a slight tug to the right end of his scarf. He turned to see the Joker standing right beside him, holding the scarf, and they had teleported a second later to just outside the throne room. Gilbert dropped the scarf and backed away.

"There, now screw off," Gilbert said with a smirk before teleporting away. Quickly getting his bearings, Ivan found himself just outside the throne room door they had previously entered. Ivan went to pull on the door handle, only for a jolt of orange magic to zap his hand.

Lilli had sealed the door with magic, trapping Elizaveta in the throne room. A battle had been set up between the girls in the throne room, with the Queen Marks on the line.

Ivan smiled as he backed away from the door, putting together the opposing team's strategy. With Sadiq and Emil having sieged the castle together in the revolt against the Mad Queen, both the Clubs and their opponents today would know the areas of the castle to focus on. While Clubs only had the four Royals to storm the castle, Matthew and Ludwig were among the eight who could defend. With four main areas of the castle to observe, it would only make sense that there would be two-on-one arrangements in place.

Since Elizaveta had already found Lilli on the main floor, while Roderich and Natalya were entering the areas by their entrances, Ivan knew exactly where he should investigate. He swerved around to the grand staircase and climbed his way up. The higher floor wasn't as useful when planning a siege just to get into the castle, since there were no direct ways to get back outside, but it often became where the defenders would make their last stand. As he reached the top, Ivan noticed that the balconies were just as empty as the lower floor, although he now had to expect this.

Ivan turned down to the left, and followed along the empty hallway. Although doors to the throne room balcony were spread across the right side, Ivan knew better than to try and open them. As he reached what would be the end of the balcony, he heard some voices and steps down the hallway connecting behind the throne room. Knowing that company was around the bend, Ivan kept walking and went to turn right.

He paused and smiled when he saw the two Heart Royals freeze in their spots to look at him.

"We meet again, Ludwig," Ivan spoke, "Gilbert says you have been waiting for me."

"He also warned me that you had arrived," Ludwig countered.

"Surely Matthew isn't also in the area?" Ivan checked, "After his interruption during our duel in Hearts the other day, I'd rather not have a repeat."

"Matthew is elsewhere on the castle grounds," Ludwig disclosed, "I have requested that he not interfere this time, and he will honour that request."

"How kind of him," Ivan jeered, "What of you, Feliciano? Do you intend to sway the fight?"

"Ludwig won't let me remain at his side either," Feliciano gloomily admitted, "He wants to fight you one-on-one."

"Ah, so the soldier wants to test his own strength against mine," Ivan realized, summoning his Sword and walking closer, "I accept the challenge."

"Feliciano, get out of here," Ludwig demanded as he summoned his own Sword.

Ivan watched as Feliciano pulled Ludwig into a hug, before letting go and hesitantly running off.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow, isn't it?" Ivan teased once they were alone, "That might have been the last time you two ever see each other."

"Not necessarily, according to Svetlana's Ledger," Ludwig argued, advancing towards Ivan, "Neither the Intendeds or the Usurpers are guaranteed to survive this. I could always defeat you, take the Club Mark, and challenge Matthew myself."

"I suppose I should foil your plans, then," Ivan said as he charged for Ludwig.

Ludwig swung his own Sword in defense at the blow from Ivan's Sword, and the duel began. The two Kings circled each other in their fight, as the Heart and Club Swords clashed multiple times. At times, Ivan controlled the fight and forced Ludwig to step back, while other times Ludwig dominated. After several moments, they had turned down the next hallway and were nearing the back balconies, and that is when Ivan found his chance.

As Ludwig blocked another blow, Ivan quickly swung his Sword again, aiming for the open section of Ludwig's ribs.

A clean slice.

Ludwig backed away into a pillar, grimacing in pain, and Ivan quickly narrowed the gap. Ludwig tried to swing his Sword, but Ivan was already close enough. With his left hand, he grabbed Ludwig's wrist and held the Heart Sword away. With his right hand, Ivan plunged the Club Sword through the Heart King's gut.

Ludwig's eyes widened as he gasped and dropped the Heart Sword, his wrist still trapped in Ivan's hand. A moment later, Ivan noticed a glow, and felt Ludwig's Heart Mark joining his own Club Mark. As the glow faded, Ivan pulled his Sword out of Ludwig's gut, and the Heart King's body slid to the ground. The Club King knelt to the ground and put his fingers to the man's neck, but there was no pulse.

King Ludwig was dead.

Ivan rose to his feet with a smirk, and looked at his Club Sword. Focusing on its magic, he found that the Clubs magic could now merge with that of Hearts, but not Diamonds. Following Lilli's telepathic intervention the other day, Ivan suspected that Matthew had taken Antonio's Diamond Mark, and he now had his irrefutable proof.

Ivan walked away from the corpse and towards the windows, taking a look out of the gardens. The first unusual thing he noticed was a figure wearing blue jumping down from a maple tree, and Ivan noticed that this figure had Yao's iconic brown tied-back hair. Shortly after, at ground level, Feliciano ran out of the castle and into the gardens.

It appeared the Jacks would have their own showdown.

Before Ivan walked away, he noticed a figure climb down from another maple tree. This one was also wearing blue, but also had an orange cape and blond hair.

"Well, isn't this my lucky day?" Ivan mused aloud as he walked away, "One King down, the other already in my sight."

* * *

The gardens were certainly lovely to walk through, no matter the intention of the journey. There wasn't a soul around to distract Roderich from the lovely scenery of autumn in full force, although the leaves crunching under his feet could quickly give away his presence to anyone lurking by. Of course, he couldn't get too distracted, he had a pair of Jacks to hunt down.

Sadiq had shown them the back entrance to the gardens the year before his death, so Roderich had no trouble finding it again. His method of reaching the castle was both simple and complex. The entrance and route were straightforward, but they weren't exactly unknown to Spades. Roderich knew the stories of Emil sneaking soldiers onto castle grounds during the revolt, and he likely warned Matthew and Alfred of the secret entrance. They may not know that the Club Royals are on the castle grounds, but they'd know to watch the entrance if they expected an attack.

Roderich had a feeling that they somehow knew, and for two good reasons. For one, he had yet to hear cries for soldiers to report to the servant quarters, where Natalya would be gutting everyone she could find. The second reason was because, the moment he entered the gardens, he felt eyes on him.

The Jack of Clubs was being watched.

Roderich couldn't reveal this suspicion to his stalker, so he had to continue walking the paths of the gardens normally. However, he listened to every sound, and his superb peripheral vision was being used as much as possible. He had already summoned his Bow before entering the gardens, so he could shoot the moment he sees someone.

He had paused by a maple tree to look at the castle when he heard it. The small crack of a branch above him, very faint to the ears yet too loud to be a bird. Roderich stood completely still and took deep breaths as he summoned an arrow in his hand. Finally, when the moment was right, he immediately turned upward and aimed his Bow at the branches.

There was nothing there. The trunk of the tree and its branches were surrounded by the large orange leaves. Roderich couldn't help but feel there was something else up there, but he couldn't find it. He continued observing closely as he lowered his Bow, but not a single movement came from the branches.

A crack sounded by the castle, and Roderich turned away to see a red firework in the sky making the shape of the letter K. He didn't understand the meaning of the letter, but he knew whose firework it was.

Feliciano.

Another red firework followed, this time making what looked at first glance like the letter X, but the bottom parts were shaped like the hilts of swords. This time, Roderich understood what the message was. The K meant that they had found Ivan. The swords meant he was fighting either Ludwig or Matthew. The message also confirmed the Club Jack's suspicions that he wasn't alone in the gardens.

Out of the corner of his eye, Roderich suddenly saw a blue firework shoot out of another maple tree at the other side of the garden, exploding in the sky to form the letter J. Not only did Roderich immediately identify the second shooter as Yao, but he realized that the letter J revealed his own presence in the gardens.

Roderich glanced up at the tree beside him. He knew he was being watched, but he could at least narrow down who the stalker was. It definitely wasn't Feliciano or Yao, as their locations were known. Ivan was fighting a fellow King, but there was no guarantee which one. Roderich highly doubted that Alfred or Gilbert would have the patience and stillness to hide in trees, and he knew for sure that Ludwig would be seen too easily. This narrowed it down to three possibilities, and unless Lilli chose to wear men's trousers instead of her dresses, there was one Spade Royal who had the highest probability out of everyone.

Roderich looked across at the other maple tree, just in time to see a figure in blue with a brown ponytail jumping down from the high branches. It appeared that the Jack of Spades was earthbound and preparing to get closer.

"I suppose I could take out Yao first," Roderich muttered, intentionally making it loud enough to be heard, "Come along, stalker, I'll give you a reason to show yourself."

As he walked in Yao's direction, Roderich almost heard a chuckle on the wind.

* * *

Matthew held himself as still as possible against the tree trunk, holding his cape at close as he could to his body. Even though Lilli was right about the colouring, a single breeze would give away his position.

While everyone spent yesterday evacuating or preparing battle strategies, Lilli had Gilbert help her return Antonio's body to Diamonds, where she used her magic to bury the King of Diamonds along with Francis and Vash. She had returned in the evening with a cape she had found in Antonio's wardrobe. It was very simple in design and cloth, but the orange matched the changing maple leaves that she had come to adore, so Lilli thought Matthew should wear it when hiding in the trees.

Now, as he stood close to the trunk of the tree after making a branch crack, Matthew was thankful for Lilli's clever idea. The orange matched the leaves perfectly, and hid the rest of his blue outfit from view as Roderich aimed an arrow in his direction.

He remained as still as possible, watching as Roderich lowered his Bow while still waiting for movement.

A loud crack echoed in the sky, making Roderich turn towards the castle, and Matthew followed his line of sight to the red firework in the sky. The K was soon followed by crossed swords, and Matthew knew what Feliciano was reporting.

Ludwig was fighting Ivan.

A blue firework shot out next, and Matthew noted that Roderich saw which tree Yao shot from. As the sky lit with the blue J, Roderich smirked before looking up again in Matthew's direction.

Matthew held himself still against the tree again, making sure he wasn't spotted this time. After another minute of watching, Roderich turned away from Matthew's tree, just in time for them both to see Yao jumping down from his perch.

"I suppose I could take out Yao first," Roderich said, beginning to walk away, "Come along, stalker, I'll give you a reason to show yourself."

Matthew allowed himself to softly chuckle. The Jack of Clubs knew he was being watched, but Roderich still didn't know how close Matthew actually was.

Before climbing down to follow Roderich, Matthew took one more look at the castle. Feliciano had just emerged from a door on the main floor, rushing to join them in the gardens, according to their amended plans for if Ludwig fought Ivan. Matthew looked at the upper level balcony in thought, wondering how the fight was going.

Matthew turned away and climbed down from his tree, not noticing the tall figure in green watching him from the castle's upper floor.


	43. Chapter 43

Gilbert's suggestion of a two-tiered attack on Elizaveta had been working well so far. Lilli was channeling her magic into bursts of magic aimed at the Club Queen, along with the occasional shield in defence. The Joker would often find opportunities to teleport directly to Elizaveta's side and swing his Scythe at her.

However, despite their best efforts to this point, Elizaveta was holding very strong, and was using her three sources of magic to her full advantage.

Several minutes into the battle, the Club Queen surrounded herself in a shield of Diamond and Heart magic, halting any attack from Lilli and Gilbert.

"I must say, I am impressed, little flower," Elizaveta taunted, "However, I believe it is time to raise the stakes."

"In what way?" Lilli asked warily.

"I've done my studies on this castle, and you picked quite the trap for yourself," Elizaveta revealed, "Many years ago, a powerful Queen put spells on this very room in case of an attack, and I can now use the Spade magic to summon the defences."

Maintaining her shield, Elizaveta cast blue magic to each side, and the blue magic swarmed across every wall. As the wave of magic on each side merged at the Thrones, large thin spikes jutted out of the walls, pillars, floor and ceiling like spears. Although none pierced Lilli directly, a few had emerged from the floor to poke at her skirts, and the rest had hardly enough space between them to safely stand. As she tried to move her skirts around, she discovered that one of the spikes under the skirts had risen in front of her legs, and was high enough to jostle her bodice. The tops were like spearheads, sharp and flared out. The rest of the shaft was covered in sharp bumps, like barbed wire or thorns.

As if there couldn't be anymore of a challenge, the Club Queen channeled her magic to her feet, and made herself levitate into the air.

"Doesn't this look like so much more fun?" Elizaveta challenged, "You asked for it, after all."

Lilli took a quick glance around her, and noticed there was one spot where the spears did not interfere. She then looked to Gilbert, who was barely safe in his own spot.

" **Gilbert, we need to teleport to the thrones,** " Lilli thought, keeping a close eye on the smirking Club Queen.

" **And how do we do that?** " Gilbert replied, " **I have nowhere to land if I teleport to you.** "

Lilli analyzed her own magic, determining her current strength and capabilities. Although it was a stretch with only Diamonds magic available in comparison to Elizaveta's access to the other three Suits, Lilli found that she would be able to support her own levitation for a few seconds.

" **Gilbert, when I give the word, teleport into mid-air above me,** " Lilli ordered, " **We will only have moments in which you can then teleport me to safety.** "

Elizaveta was challenging another blast, but Lilli could tell that the levitation was quickly draining her magic.

" **Lilli, you've lost your bloody mind! We'll land on the spikes!** "

Knowing the moment had come, Lilli focused her own magic and felt herself rising from the floor. Just as her feet had cleared the tips of the spikes, Elizaveta fired her blast of magic.

" **GILBERT, NOW!** "

Within seconds that felt like an eternity, Lilli felt and saw several things happen.

Gilbert appeared just above her and fell, landing on her back.

With the added weight, Lilli's levitation magic failed.

Elizaveta's blast approached.

They were falling.

Lilli's right foot pressed on the top of a spike.

Before the spike could dig in, the pressure then disappeared.

The same foot then hit something soft.

Lilli looked down as her left foot joined her right on the cushion of the Spade Queen's Throne.

She looked up, watching the blast hit the floor before looking at the Club Queen.

Elizaveta was struggling to stay in the air.

Lilli channelled what magic was available to her after her levitation, and fired a blast.

Unable to block, Elizaveta took the hit and was repelled backwards into the wall, where two spikes plunged through her torso.

Lilli took several deep breaths as she realized what had happened.

"You did it," Gilbert panted heavily beside her, "You beat the bitch."

As she felt her own strength quickly recover, Lilli realized she needed to be touching Elizaveta in order to absorb the Marks. Once enough magic had been restored, Lilli had it reach out and grab the Club Queen. Elizaveta cried in agony as she was pulled off the spikes, and Lilli noted she was barely conscious as the strands of Diamond magic brought her over to the thrones.

Once she was close enough, Lilli grabbed her wrist and the glow of the Absorbing appeared immediately. She felt an enormous surge of magical energy go through her, as if Elizaveta's three Suit Marks were shifting over at the same time. Lilli could hardly keep breathing as she felt the magic of all four Suits merge together inside her mind and filled her vision with a blinding light.

The sensation suddenly disappeared, and Lilli heaved for breath. Elizaveta's body dropped, laying on top of the spikes. Feeling the magic energy in the room, Lilli quickly used the Spade magic to remove the spell, and the spikes immediately disappeared. She focused her magic, and found that her telepathic abilities had substantially increased. Like a Joker, she could now feel the other Royal Marks and sources of magic on the castle grounds.

"Lilli, are you okay?" Gilbert asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"I can feel them all, Gilbert," Lili said, "I can feel the Marks of every Royal in the Deck."

"Okay, that's disturbing, because you've dropped off my radar entirely. I can even hardly feel Elizaveta's burnt Marks, and her ugly corpse is right here."

"That is strange. I wonder if it's the Absorbing at work."

"Now that I think of it, Ivan's lone Club Mark is what I tracked down the last two times I searched for the Club Royals. It could be that my tracking powers are meant for single Marks, whereas you can track combinations of multiple Marks. Maybe with one set of Royals for the entire Deck, the Jokers wouldn't be needed anymore."

"In other words, I would replace you almost entirely. How about we both try searching for the same rank of Royal and compare results?"

"Okay, Lilli. Start with the Jacks."

Lilli concentrated, and found three Jacks in the gardens. One was towards the front, while the other two were approaching each other deep within. One of them had two Marks, and Lilli knew immediately that it would be Roderich.

"I can feel all three of them in the gardens. How about you?"

"I can feel Feliciano and Yao for certain. I did find someone who feels like a Jack, but the magic is warped, so it must be Roderich's two Marks."

"Okay, let's try the Kings, Gilbert."

Lilli focused, and found two Kings very quickly, but couldn't find the third. After a few moments of searching, she focused on the two Kings again.

They each had two Marks.

"Something has happened with Ludwig and Ivan. I can only find two Kings, and they each have two Marks. Since Matthew already had Antonio's Mark, someone else has both the Club and Heart Marks."

"Okay, I can add more to that. It's hard to feel the Marks from Matthew, but Ivan's has become fuzzy as well. Ludwig's is clear as day, but it's burnt like Vash's was."

"You think Ivan killed Ludwig?"

"Sure do. We'll need to check upstairs and find a body to confirm it first."

"Before you run off, Gilbert, should we check what's happening with the Aces?"

"I'm already doing that. I feel a presence that might be Natalya's close to where Alfred is."

Lilli focused on the servant quarters, and immediately felt a strange yet familiar energy. The magic of the four Suit Aces were merging into one person.

"Wait, he's gone! They're both gone, Lilli!"

"One of them has done it, they've taken all four Ace Marks. Either Alfred or Natalya has been defeated!"

Lilli tried to focus on them again, before she noticed Gilbert staring at her.

"What is it, Gilbert?"

"Didn't you hear me? I was trying to speak to you telepathically."

"No, I didn't hear it at all. Maybe having all four Marks blocks off communication as well."

"Well, that's a totally unawesome problem. I just tried to reach the Ace as well, but since I can't locate them, I can't talk to them."

"Hold on a second, let me try."

Lilli focused, and quickly got a telepathic link to the Ace of the Four Suits.

" **Alfred, please tell me that's you.** "

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Ding dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch!_**

 ** _Okay, enough of Oz. Before you all ask, levitation and flight are not normally magic powers that a Queen has. They use their telekinetic ability to lift themselves into the air, and it takes a lot of magic to do it. It's different from the strands of magic that Elizaveta was using to whip Kiku, Antonio and Matthew around with in Hearts. The Absorbing of Marks is extra-strong here, as Lilli is taking more than one Mark at a time, while also completing her rank's component of the Absorbing._**

 ** _As Lilli hints, the next chapter involves the Aces..._**


	44. Chapter 44

**_Before we begin, there is a part of this chapter that may not be suitable for all readers, especially for anyone who has had traumatic experiences involving fire. I apologize in advance if this warning applies to you._**

* * *

Alfred was starting to question his own sanity. Why in the Deck did he actually want to fight this hellcat again?

The Ace of Spades had managed to hold his own well so far, getting swings in at Natalya while avoiding the Club Axe in her one hand and the dagger in the other. Their fight had pushed down several hallways, as they each sought more room in which to swing their Axes. The pair eventually made it into the kitchen, and Alfred had a few opportunities to notice how smoothly Emil, Steven and Angelique were able to dodge the battle while still preparing the food.

After a couple circles around the counter, Alfred missed a swing, and quickly lost control. Natalya swiftly swung multiple times, knocking the Spade Axe out of his hands. Alfred promptly backed away, and found himself pinned against the side counter. He reached his right hand to grip the counter, only to withdraw it at the searing hot touch. A quick glance showed that Alfred had accidentally placed his hand on the metal encasing of the wood stove, which was already burning hot.

"Alfred, look out!" Angelique shouted in warning, just as Natalya raised her Axe.

Just as she was about to swing, the Club Ace suddenly paused in surprise as something shattered behind her, then turned to the maid with an enraged look and yelled.

"Stop throwing things at me, you stupid bitch!"

As Natalya was turned, Alfred noticed the liquid dripping down her back along with a very familiar broken bottle on the floor. Glancing again at the wood stove beside him, Alfred remembered one of his favourite days as a kid running around this kitchen.

The day he learned about how oil was flammable.

Noticing that Angelique had fully distracted Natalya, Alfred slowly reached down, quietly opened the door to the wood stove, and grabbed a outer piece of wood that only had one end on fire. Since the flames were rapidly approaching his hand, Alfred knew he had only the one shot at an accurate hit. As Alfred looked back up, he made eye contact with Angelique. Her eyes went wide open before she bolted towards the side door, and Natalya followed her movement with her back facing Alfred.

He threw the flaming wood, and the lit end hit Natalya square in the back, igniting her dress and hair in flames. She immediately screeched before she could turn around to face him.

"WHAT THE HELL?" she shrieked, "PUT IT OUT!"

Natalya reached for the pitcher of water on the counter, but Alfred beat her to it and threw it across the room. As she tried to pounce on him, he managed to grab another bottle of oil and smash it on her head, then quickly backed away as her hair and face started burning.

"Alfred, are you insane?" Emil managed to yell over the Club Ace's shrieks, "She'll set the whole kitchen on fire!"

"Oh yeah, right," Alfred said, looking around and noticing that Emil was rushing to put out a couple counters before they got worst. Natalya saw this as well, and rushed towards the pitcher of water Emil had. Alfred immediately grabbed his Axe and used the shaft as a bar to hold Natalya back. Observing that the Spade magic was keeping the shaft from burning, he used it to keep pushing Natalya backwards, steering her through the kitchen and out the door to the yard. At this point, the flames were dying down, and the Club Ace was covered in burns. Alfred gave her one last push, and she fell to the ground in a heap.

"You rotten bastard," Natalya managed to spit out as she caught her breath.

"Yeah, sorry about that, bit of a dirty trick."

"Well, let's see if you're sorry about this!"

Natalya immediately hooked her foot behind his leg, and Alfred fell to the ground. Once he landed, he swung his Axe in her direction, and the blade landed in Natalya's chest.

He immediately crawled over and grabbed at Natalya's wrist, only for her to try and pull it away. He eventually managed to hold it, and a rush of energy went through him as the glow from the Absorbing emerged. As it increased, a bright light seemed to take over his sight, and he became incredibly dizzy before the sensation suddenly stopped. As he caught his breath, he noticed he was still sitting beside the now-dead Club Ace.

"What was that?" Steven asked, having come outside with the others to watch.

"That was the Absorbing," Emil answered, "Alfred, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Alfred assured, "Mattie didn't say the surge of energy was that strong."

"So, did you just take her Mark then?" Angelique asked.

"She already had the Heart and Diamond Marks as well, so I took all three," Alfred corrected, unbuttoning his shirt to take a look, "It's a full set now."

Alfred held his shirt open so they could all see. His Spade was still at the forefront, overlapping the other Marks in a way that parts of all four could be seen.

"If you have all four Suits there, then does that make you the Ace of all four kingdoms?" Steven asked.

"It sure does, and that is what the Absorbing is," Emil explained, "The merging of all four kingdoms into one, with a single set of Royals to unite the entire Deck."

As Emil spoke, a familiar voice spoke in Alfred's mind.

 **"Alfred, please tell me that's you."**

"Okay, you guys need to be quiet for a minute," Alfred told the others, standing up and walking away from Natalya's corpse, "Lilli is talking to me telepathically."

Once he had taken a couple steps, Alfred replied.

 **"It sure is me, Lilli. How are you doing this?"**

 **"This communication appears to be a power of the Intended Queen. I can speak telepathically with another Royal who has four Marks, just like how Gilbert can do with the others."**

 **"You beat Elizaveta then?"**

 **"Yes, I did, my set is complete. I can also sense all the Marks now, so I felt it when you took Natalya's Marks."**

 **"How are the others doing? Is Mattie still okay?"**

 **"Matthew is fine, but Ludwig might not be. I can only feel two Kings, both of whom have two Marks each. Gilbert sensed a burnt Heart King's Mark, so I just sent him to check. It's possible that the Kings are down to only Matthew and Ivan."**

 **"Damn. How about the Jacks?"**

 **"All three are still alive, and they're approaching each other in the gardens. Matthew and the other King are there as well, it could prove to be quite the showdown."**

 **"Okay, I'll work my way over there."**

 **"Gilbert and I will join you shortly."**

Alfred walked back over to where the others were standing.

"Since when can Lilli use telepathy?" Emil asked.

"Since she absorbed all the Queen Marks, it appears," Alfred said, "Elizaveta has been defeated, but they suspect that Ivan has killed Ludwig. The last two Kings are in the gardens with the three Jacks."

"We'll clean up over here, don't worry about us," Emil said, "You go help the others."

Alfred ran out into the yard, taking the outside route around the castle. As he reached the outer wall, Alfred noticed a green coach parked over by the main entrance to the castle. Although he wanted to investigate, he really didn't have time for it. He looked back at the servant entrance, and noticed Emil guiding the others to take care of Natalya's corpse.

"Emil, get over here!" Alfred shouted, watching the carriage. Nobody appeared around it by the time Emil caught up to him.

"What is it, Alfred?" Emil asked.

"Could you check on that Club carriage over there?" Alfred ordered, "There could be someone hiding there, see if they have any motives or special instructions, fight if need be."

"Sure thing."

As Emil went towards the carriage, Alfred turned round the corner and ran along the wall of the castle, quickly reaching the locked gate to the gardens. A swing of his Axe was all it took to break the lock, and Alfred was already barging through before the padlock could fell. He turned to the balcony bordering the gardens, where he saw Lilli and Gilbert coming out of the castle door.

"Ludwig is dead, he was gutted and his Mark was taken," Gilbert reported, "That would make it Ivan in the gardens with Matthew and the Jacks."

"We need to get to them," Alfred stated, looking out at the gardens, "Can you feel where all five are?"

"There are three Royals right at the center courtyard by the gazebo, and the last two are approaching quickly," Lilli disclosed.

"The quickest route is this way, come on!"

Alfred ran ahead, only to turn back and notice that only Gilbert was following. He paused and noticed the Queen was just standing there in shock.

"Lilli, are you okay?"

"The Marks are shifting. A Jack has just been killed."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _ **As I warned, Natalya's death ended up rather brutal, so I apologize again if anyone was offended by her being set on fire.**_

 _ **The first outline had Alfred throw a butcher's knife into her chest, while a more recent idea was to push her into a flaming oven à la Sweeney Todd (a fabulous musical, by the way). Unfortunately, I got myself confused over the logistics of the Spade castle's kitchen having a walk-in woodburning oven to push her into (or even a large enough fully-heated oven without several baking racks in the way), so what you see here is the compromise.**_

 _ **A shoutout to my critic who should've created an account so that I could send them a personal reply! Yes, while writing those chapters, I had to deal with the fact that I can write much more easily about action and plot twists than emotions. Chapter 36 had my best attempt at it, with Feliciano consoling Alfred, but being someone who hardly ever experiences major emotions, grief and mourning are hard to write about. I should also point out that all these deaths are happening within the span of a week (for example, if this battle was on a Friday, Francis and Vash only died last Sunday), and I've had the characters focused on dealing with all this shit before they can truly focus on their grief. I hope that's an adequate explanation, I appreciate your input!**_


	45. Chapter 45

Roderich held himself close to the hedge, making sure not an inch of his body could be seen past the corner. He and Yao had found each other by the centre of the gardens, and they were using hedges at each end of the small courtyard as cover for shooting at each other. Although his primary focus was the bush Yao was hiding behind, he was still listening for any sign of his stalker.

Before long, Roderich heard the shuffle of crunching leaves on the ground, and instinctively spun to his right. He quickly lowered his Bow when he saw the Club King standing there.

"We don't need friendly fire, Roderich," Ivan teased as he approached.

"Sorry, I thought it was someone else," Roderich apologized as Ivan crouched beside him, "I have a stalker nearby, they've been watching me since I entered the gardens. Why aren't you inside the castle?"

"I've been following the sounds of battles to be had," Ivan explained, "Lilli kicked me out of the throne room so that she could fight Elizaveta. I then went upstairs, where I fought and killed Ludwig."

"Ah, you have more than one Mark now," Roderich mocked, unleashing another arrow in Yao's direction, "Congratulations, it sure took you long enough."

"Very funny," Ivan said, unamused, "I saw Feliciano rush out to the gardens from the upper balcony, so I followed him. I also saw both Yao and Matthew jump down from trees. The five of us are all here."

Roderich paused his shot at that, and turned to look at Ivan.

"When and where did you see Matthew jump down from a tree?"

"It was shortly after Yao's jump," Ivan revealed, pointing towards the tree Roderich had been standing under earlier, "Matthew was in that maple tree."

Roderich chuckled.

"I knew it was him! I should've shot a hundred arrows at the leaves in that tree!"

"I suppose this means Matthew is your stalker, then?"

"Yes it does. Luckily for you, this means he's waiting close-by."

"Duly noted. How about I help you with Yao first? He wouldn't expect me to sneak up and drag him into the open area."

"That sounds good to me. Do be careful, of course."

Ivan slipped away as Roderich kept firing arrows at Yao. After a couple of minutes, Ivan was already in Roderich's sight, slowly approaching along the side of the bush that Yao was hiding just behind. They both waited patiently for the right moment, and Ivan chose to strike when Yao fired.

Before another Spade arrow could be summoned, Ivan spun around the corner and wrestled the Spade Bow from the Jack's hands. Once he had it, Ivan tossed it away before pinning Yao's wrists behind his back and pushing him into the open. Seeing that Yao was fighting Ivan's control, Roderich quickly summoned three arrows as he emerged from his own hiding spot. After nocking the arrows on his Bow, Roderich aimed and fired.

All three arrows landed in Yao's chest, one in particular very close to where his heart would be.

Roderich walked forward as Ivan let the Spade Jack collapse to the ground, and Yao braced himself with his right hand while clutching at his wounds with his left. Once close enough, Roderich kneeled down to Yao's level, placing his Bow on the ground, and grabbed the wrist that Yao was using to hold himself up. As the power surge of the Absorbing flowed through them both, Roderich noticed that Yao was already struggling to breathe through the pain and the rush of energy leaving him.

Just as the glow disappeared, Roderich glanced at Yao again, expecting to see the face of a dying man. Instead, he saw a devilish smirk. Before he could question it, Yao grabbed his wrist tight as he took control. It was at the last second that Roderich saw the dagger in Yao's other hand, and he didn't have the time to stop him as the Jack of Spades rammed it into the Club Jack's hand.

Roderich cringed as the pain shot through him, and reached to pull the dagger out. As he removed it, Yao's grip immediately released as his body fell to the ground. Roderich took a few steps back, dropping the dagger to the ground and wiping the blood from his hand. It didn't look like any bones were broken, but the muscles had been shredded quite well. He would need Elizaveta to take care of it.

"Yao is dead," Ivan confirmed after checking the Spade Jack for a pulse, "How is your hand?"

"He made some good damage, I'll need Elizaveta to heal me," Roderich reported, "Why would he aim for my hand, though?"

"I really wouldn't count on anyone healing your hand."

Hearing the familiar voice, Roderich smirked as he turned to face the Spade King.

"Ah, Matthew, you finally show your face," Ivan greeted, "Were you stalking Roderich here the entire time?"

"Yes, I was," Matthew said, pulling off an orange cape, "I'm lucky that Lilli considered camouflage for when I was hiding in that tree, wasn't I, Roderich?"

"That would certainly explain why I didn't see you," Roderich remarked, "What is this about nobody healing my hand for me?"

"I suppose neither of you have heard yet, but Elizaveta and Natalya have both been defeated," Matthew revealed, "Lilli now has all four Queen Marks, while Alfred had all four Ace Marks."

"How the hell did your brother beat my sister?" Ivan questioned in shock.

"Sounds like the way to beat her was to light her on fire," Matthew disclosed.

"He set Natalya on fire?" Roderich growled, "The dirty bastard! That's hardly a fair fight!"

"Oh right, she was one of your lovers, wasn't she?" Matthew gauded, "I'd normally say not to shoot the messenger, but in this case, I dare you to."

Roderich was skeptical of why Matthew was smirking, but he couldn't resist the dare. Noting the lack of pain in his damaged left hand, he bent down and went to grab his Bow, only to discover something horribly wrong when his hand merely pushed the Bow further into the grass. Bringing his hand back to him, Roderich used his right hand to touch his left, trying to poke the skin and make the fingers move, but couldn't get any reaction or sensation.

"What's wrong, Roderich?" Matthew taunted, "Can't lift your Bow?"

Increasingly suspicious of Matthew's comments, Roderich took a closer look at the wound inflicted by Yao's dagger, and noticed there was another substance mixed with the blood. As he turned his hand, some of the veins had turned a dark green, with the colouring stretching down past the ruffled cuff at his wrist.

"The dagger was poisoned," Roderich realized.

"Of course it was," Matthew said, "Yao's home village in the Gungshu Pass is known for their medicines and herbs, after all. This poison in particular has shut down the nerves in your hand."

"Why numb his hand, though?" Ivan interrogated, "Why would Yao aim there instead of trying to kill Roderich?"

"I thought Antonio would have taught you better than that," Matthew criticized, "Even when someone is stabbed in the gut, they can still fight back. That is why Roderich's hands are the main target instead, so that he can't fight."

"If his target is my hand, then why bother with the poison?" Roderich grilled.

"The poison was a security measure, in case Yao's aim wasn't good enough to destroy any muscles or bones. It was his part of their contingency plan."

Holding his damaged left hand close to his chest, Roderich dropped his right hand to his side, ready to pull out the dagger he had hidden there.

"Their contingency plan?" Roderich asked in curiousity.

"Ludwig and Yao had different views on how to approach this battle," Matthew led on, "While Ludwig insisted on fighting Ivan one-on-one with the hopes of possibly challenging his fate, Yao was willing to work with Feliciano on how to take you down."

All of a sudden, a sharp pain shot through Roderich's right hand. After a cringe in agony, a quick glance was more than enough to reveal what had happened.

A red arrow, also covered in poison, had pierced and lodged itself in his hand.

"The Jack's magic is a curious thing, you know," a voice commented from behind the Club Royals, "There are so many tricks we can conjure with our Bows and arrows, but we are still limited by how we need both hands to be able to shoot."

"So that was your plan?" Roderich asked, turning to face the Jack of Hearts, "Risk Yao's life and make me unable to defend myself?"

"As Matthew said, it was a contingency plan, one of many we had prepared," Feliciano corrected, flashing a demonic smirk that could challenge Natalya's scariest, "I also have a dagger ready, in case our roles were switched, so that whoever died could still help the other."

"Now that you have disabled me, you plan on striking me down right here with ease?"

"Well, that's one option. You can stand there and give in, or you can run and I'll shoot you in the back like a coward."

Watching as Feliciano summoned five arrows and nocked them to the Heart Bow, Roderich knew he couldn't fight back, but he couldn't just stand there and take it. As Feliciano raised his Bow to aim, the Club Jack made his decision.

He bolted.

* * *

Ivan watched in mild disappointment as Roderich raced down the side exit of the courtyard with Feliciano following closely on his tail. Although the two Jacks had always appeared to get along well, Roderich always thought that Feliciano was a bit of an idiot.

It appears the Heart Jack was hiding a brain behind his smile the whole time.

Ivan turned back to Matthew, who had also been watching the parting Jacks.

"Is it just the two of us now, Matthew?" Ivan asked, "Should I be expecting any interference from the others?"

"They are approaching, but I do not know how close they are," Matthew said, "If you expect them to stay out of your way, you'll have to kill me before they arrive. Considering our history, it almost seems fitting that you are the last Club Royal left to defeat."

Ivan summoned his Sword, channelling both the Clubs and Hearts powers, and noticed Matthew doing the same with the Spades and Diamonds magic. They were both holding Swords a moment later.

"Well, then," Ivan said, "Shall we?"

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _I am sorry for skipping a midweek chapter! A suddenly awakened social life combined with writer's block, and this chapter simply wasn't ready to post. I feel as though chapters 43 and 44 were rushed in their writing, and I really wanted this chapter to be as clear as possible for how Yao and Feli would take on Roderich. I ended up deciding that you guys would prefer a well-written chapter to a sloppy one, especially since this story is on its home stretch._**

 ** _Chapter 46 will likely go up next weekend, since I have yet to write the showdown between Matthew and Ivan. I can confirm that this story will be completed by the end of the month._**


	46. Chapter 46

"We're almost there, come on!"

Lilli followed the boys closely as Alfred led the way through the garden's maze. She had identified that Roderich was one of the Jacks involved in the merging of Marks, while Gilbert was able to identify that Feliciano was still alive, so they determined that Roderich had found Yao. Although they weren't sure who killed who, the trio knew there was little time to catch up to the others. She could still feel two Kings and two Jacks, and the four remaining Royals had come together in the middle of the garden.

As Alfred paused to gain his bearings, Lilli felt movement.

"The two Jacks are moving away from the Kings," Lilli reported, "I believe they are all close by."

"Feliciano finally answered me telepathically," Gilbert added on, "Roderich has killed Yao, but the poisoned dagger idea worked perfectly. Feli is chasing him for the kill."

"Hang on a second," Alfred said, "I hear something."

The group paused still for a second before Alfred motioned for them to stand against the hedge. As they took cover, Lilli heard two pairs of feet running along the next path in the maze, and she could feel it was the two Jacks approaching.

Roderich was the first to round the corner, and he froze when he saw the trio standing against the hedge. As he hesitated, Lilli saw an opportunity to get a little revenge for Vash. With a flick of her wrist, a strand of magic wrapped around the Jack's ankle, pulling him upside down into the air.

"Damn it," Roderich muttered, and Lilli merely smiled at him as Feliciano came around the corner.

"Look, Feliciano, I caught you a rat," Lilli said.

"Well, aren't you a darling," Feliciano replied, raising his Bow in the air and aiming the nocked arrows with a disturbingly sweet smile on his face, "Would you mind turning him to face me? I want Roderich to see his death approaching."

Lilli turned Roderich in the air with her magic, and held the Club Jack in place. She saw the fearful look on Roderich's face just before the arrows landed in his chest, and dropped him to the ground with a thud when Feliciano came closer. The Heart Jack grabbed Roderich's wrist, and the glow of the Absorbing began. Lilli saw Feliciano shut his eyes and gasp in reaction to the energy before the glow died down.

"Did you also see a blinding white light?" Feliciano asked.

"Sure did," Alfred said, "It's either because we each absorbed three new Marks at a time, or because we completed our sets."

"Whatever it is, we're down to one last set of Marks to determine," Gilbert said, "We need to find Matthew and Ivan, quickly."

"I left them in the courtyard," Feliciano said, standing up, "This way, come on!"

The group followed Feliciano, with Alfred close behind the Jack, and Lilli heard the clashing of swords as they got closer. As she rounded the corner, Alfred had halted at the courtyard entrance before running in and screaming something that froze her in fear.

"MATTIE, NO!"

* * *

Even with only the two of them there, Matthew could feel the incredible tension in the air.

The two Kings circled each other silently, Swords at the ready, waiting to see who would make the first move. Ludwig had warned Matthew to watch for the strength in Ivan's blows, reminding Matthew of his training with Mikkel and Berwald through the years. His skill, if used properly, should stand a chance against brute force.

Ivan charged first, and Matthew deflected the blow, noting how strong it was. The Club King kept going, taking control of the fight very quickly, but Matthew managed to keep defending himself.

As the fight got heated, Matthew finally got the opportunity to strike at Ivan, swinging his Sword towards Ivan's abdomen. Ivan dodged it, and brought his own Sword down, knocking Matthew's Sword out of his grasp. Weaponless, Matthew watched as Ivan swung ahead, and barely managed to duck below the swing aimed for his neck. As he stepped back, his foot missed its mark, and Matthew fell to the ground.

The next few moments felt like an eternity to Matthew. Laying on the ground, with Ivan blocking his way to his Sword, Matthew knew there wasn't much he could do. He tried to hook his leg around Ivan's and trip him, but the Club King merely used his own foot to pin Matthew's thigh to the ground. Matthew could only watch in anticipation as Ivan prepared his Sword.

Just before Ivan could strike, a loud voice interrupted.

"MATTIE, NO!"

A moment later, it was as if Matthew was in Hearts again, only he was watching from what must have been Ludwig's point of view in that battle. Now, as Matthew was laying on the ground, waiting for Ivan to kill him, a blue blur jumped past him and crashed into the Club King, pushing him away.

The Intended Ace of the Deck now stood between them, protecting his twin.

"Did you really have to copy your brother?" Ivan said.

"Great minds think alike," Alfred said, "Especially if those minds happen to be twins."

"In other words, yes," Matthew chuckled as Ivan lifted his Sword in preparation to fight, and Alfred prepared his Axe to do the same.

Before either could charge, a red arrow lodged itself into Ivan's hand, making him drop his Sword as he grunted in pain. As Ivan backed away, strands of magic wrapped around his wrist and pulled him further back. Matthew looked behind him, and saw Lilli standing there, conjuring the magic that now pinned Ivan against the tree with his hands bound behind him around the trunk. As Feliciano went to stand guard with a nocked arrow aimed at the Club King, Alfred turned and offered his hand to Matthew.

"Thanks, Al," Matthew said, accepting the hand, "I owe you big time."

"You already saved me once from Natalya's wrath, so we're even," Alfred said, pulling Matthew to his feet, "And besides, you're my brother. No way in hell would I let him kill you."

"Roderich has already been defeated," Feliciano reported, "Ivan is the only Club remaining."

Matthew looked to his Sword, and watched as Lilli picked it up and offered it to him.

"You're the Intended King, Matthew," she said, "You have to do it."

Matthew accepted the Sword, and approached the Club King.

"All four of you are weak," Ivan taunted, "You only succeeded because you outnumbered us."

"Individual strengths leave too much to be desired," Matthew countered, "It is with teamwork and cooperation that we can combine strengths and succeed. That is why Kings have to share rulership, they cannot do it alone."

"A truly powerful King wouldn't need to do that," Ivan argued, "I doubt you will convince all four kingdoms to unite, anyways. The citizens will rebel against your coup d'etat."

"That is where we hope to prove you wrong," Matthew said, "The Intendeds are chosen for their humility, kindness, bravery and intelligence, all of which will help us bring unity and peace to the Deck. The reason you wouldn't succeed is because you lack these qualities."

"Then get it over with," Ivan huffed with a challenging glare, "Kill me."

Matthew brought his Sword forward and plunged it into Ivan's gut. The Club King growled in pain, and began to pant heavily as the pain overtook him. Matthew lowered his own Sword, and motioned Lilli to bring one of the bound wrists forward.

As the wrist came forward, Matthew saw Ivan try to reach for something, and immediately reacted. Grabbing Ivan's wrist, Matthew pulled it the rest of the way forward, and used his other hand to remove the dagger from Ivan's hand as the Absorbing's glow began. As he threw the dagger to the ground, Matthew felt the rush of energy surge through him, much stronger than it was with Antonio's lone Diamond Mark. A blinding light filled his mind momentarily, before it fell away and the energy dwindled. A quick glance at the dead King confirmed what he already knew.

Matthew now had all four King Marks.

"The Absorbing is complete," Gilbert said, "The four of you now rule the Deck."

Matthew turned and looked at each of the others in turn, catching his breath. Nobody said a word, there was no need for them.

The sound of footsteps approached, and the group turned to look as Emil entered the courtyard, accompanied by a young man with shoulder-length brown hair and green clothing.

"Toris?" Feliciano asked, "You're here as well?"

"Yes, he was driving their carriage," Emil said.

"Your Majesties, I was requested to return word to Clubs of what became of our Royals," Toris said, "There are particular items that must be returned to Miss Katerina if you expect her to believe her siblings are dead."

"What do you need?" Alfred asked.

"Ivan's scarf and Natalya's hair ribbon," Toris said, "Emil already took me to Natalya's body, we were surprised to see the ribbon wasn't destroyed in the flames."

"We can certainly send you back with those," Lilli accepted, "Go ahead and take the scarf, and return to Clubs with our condolences to Katerina."

As Toris went to take Ivan's scarf, Matthew thought on the Club King's words. If the Clubs citizens were anything like their rulers, they could prove to be the hardest to unite with the others.

"Would you mind waiting a day before you leave, Toris?" Matthew asked, "I have an idea."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Yes, I know, I'm a slacker. To be fair, I had trouble figuring out what I wanted to have happen, as well as how to write it. However, all there is left to write is the epilogue, for which I nearly made myself cry for a particular section while writing it._**

 ** _Alfred was missing a truly heroic moment, so here we go. Also, teamwork and cooperation proved to be key in taking down all four Club Royals._**


	47. Chapter 47 - Epilogue

Katerina looked out at the snow-covered grounds and grey skies, lost in thought.

She knew the journey to Spades could be done in a single day and night, and that Ivan promised to send a raven as soon as the battle was over. The Royals had left five days ago, and there was still no word of what had become of them.

The Club Royals had kept no secrets from Katerina all those years, and she fully understood what their position as Usurpers entailed. They were all very strong in their ways, but Katerina knew they were meant to be the villains of the Absorbing. She was the one who convinced Ivan that the advisors should know what needs to be done in Clubs should they not return.

At the same time, she didn't want to lose her siblings.

"You're fearing the worst, aren't you?"

Sighing as she heard the familiar voice, Katerina turned to look at her dear friend.

"Of course I am, Feliks," Katerina said, "We should have received any kind of message by now."

"Maybe they're playing hide-and-seek in the castle," Feliks suggested, "It could be a stalemate where they simply can't send a raven."

"Even so, Toris would've been able to tell us something."

Feliks didn't reply, and Katerina looked out at the snow again. This time, however, there was a carriage on the path approaching the castle, with two men sitting atop and guiding the horses. While both were familiar, only one of them was expected.

"Toris is back, Feliks! Why is Emil with him, though?"

"I'm not sure, let's go find out!"

She followed Feliks back into the castle, through the corridor, and down the grand staircase. As they reached the front hall, Katerina rushed ahead and pushed open the doors, surprising the guards who were standing watch outside. As she got outside, Toris and Emil had just parked the carriage by the main entrance. Katerina ran down the cold steps, watching in hope as Toris approached the carriage door. Before he pulled it open, he looked directly at her with a worried look on his face.

She froze in her steps when Toris shook his head in dissent as he opened the carriage door. When a young man with golden blond hair stepped out, Katerina cried out in grief as she fell to her knees, tears already in her eyes.

When the Club Royals had returned from the Spades coronation, Elizaveta had shown them all a sketch from Svetlana's Ledger of a pair of blond twin brothers. These blond twins would be the King and Ace of Spades at the time the Absorbing began, which meant they were destined to fight Ivan and Natalya.

Katerina could tell that this blond was one of those twins.

She could barely watch as Queen Lilli and Jack Feliciano also exited the carriage, and brought her hands to cover her face and weep as the second blond twin came out.

Her brother and sister were dead.

She couldn't control her tears, and barely felt the hand that held her shoulder.

"You must be Katerina," a soothing voice softly said, "I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I see you already know what has happened, and I am truly sorry that your brother and sister had to endure this fate."

As the young man spoke, Katerina felt his words warm her soul, and remembered Ivan's story about meeting this soft-voiced stableboy.

"Thank you, your Majesty," she managed to stutter, "Did they suffer?"

"Natalya more so than Ivan," Matthew told her, "Alfred's method was a bit cruel, I don't think it's one you want to hear about until you're ready for it. We did manage to recover Natalya's hair ribbon, as well as Ivan's scarf."

She felt a hand around her wrist, and allowed it to be pulled down. Matthew was kneeling with her, while Alfred and Feliciano watched as Lilli bent down as well. With a bit of encouragement from Matthew, Katerina reached out to the scarf and ribbon being offered to her by Lilli, taking them in her grasp and pulling them to her chest.

"Thank you," she muttered, feeling calmer as Matthew gently stroked her back.

"All four of them are gone?" Katerina heard Feliks ask from behind her.

"Yes, they are," Feliciano answered, "The Absorbing is complete, and we bear the Marks of every Suit."

"With Ivan's approval, I headed a group of advisors that needed to prepare for whatever became of Clubs once the Absorbing was complete," Feliks explained, "We should head inside, there is much to discuss."

"Yes, that would be a good idea," Matthew said to Feliks before turning back, "Let's get you back inside, Katerina."

She nodded and let Matthew help her up, and he kept gently stroking her back as they head into the castle.

* * *

From her small alleyway, Lenka could hardly see the holiday festivities.

It had been just over five years since her father was killed in the massacre at the Hearts castle, and the Deck had been united by one set of Royals. Lenka and her brother Tomas were only three years old when it happened, and their mother told them about how the Intended Royals were brave, intelligent, kind and humble enough to convince all four kingdoms to merge under one banner. The festivities honoured the day the Absorbing was completed, and everyone was praising the wonderful improvements that had been made to their lives since.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts from the Royals, poverty still lingered as a social issue to be resolved. It didn't help Lenka or Tomas that their mother died from illness last winter, and the children were left to the streets.

She felt a tug at her wrist, and Lenka watched her steps as her brother pulled her along.

"What did you find, Tomas?"

"There's a bakery over here, the shopkeeper is very busy," Tomas said, "I'll distract him while you steal a loaf of bread."

"Sounds good to me," Lenka agreed.

Tomas stopped her in front of a shop, and he went inside ahead of her. After a few moments, Lenka followed him in. The shop was full, and Tomas was intentionally interrupting as the shopkeeper tried to sell his stock to customers. Lenka approached the basket of fresh bread, and kept an eye on the shopkeeper. The moment he looked away, she grabbed a loaf of bread.

"You need to pay for that first, girl."

Lenka looked up to the voice in fear, seeing the baker now hovering over the display. Time seemed to still as everyone else turned to watch, including Tomas and the shopkeeper. Lenka took a quick peek behind her, and saw a small opening for escape.

She took the chance.

Holding the loaf close to her chest, Lenka bolted away, and heard the baker shouting after her. She ran out into the streets, dodging the people who had yet to spot her. She caught a few looks from those who heard the baker's pleas, but she evaded anyone who tried to catch her. Her steps only faltered as she rounded the corner and crashed into something metal. She fell to the ground, and looked up in a panic.

A soldier, wearing a combination of armour and fancy clothing, was offering her a hand.

"You okay there, sweetie?" the man asked, "That was quite the bump."

"I'm fine," Lenka said, accepting the hand that then pulled her up. She turned and saw the baker quickly approaching, and knew she was already in trouble.

"Ace Alfred, this girl is a thief," the baker said, "She just stole that loaf of bread from my shop!"

"Is that so?" a woman's voice asked, and Lenka looked past the Ace. A beautiful woman was there, wearing an ornate red dress. She was accompanied by a blond man who looked identical to Ace Alfred, as well as a man with a strange curl in his brown hair.

"Come closer, my dear," the blond man said, and Lenka nervously approached as he knelt down to her height. He took her hand in his, and pressed his fingers into her arm.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Lenka."

"What are you doing, your Majesty?" the baker interrupted, "Why aren't you arresting her?"

"You're so thin and frail, Lenka," the man asked, ignoring the baker, "When is the last time you had a proper meal?"

"I can't remember, sir."

"Where are your parents?" the woman asked.

"They are dead," Lenka said, "It's just me and my brother."

"That sounds awfully familiar," Ace Alfred said, "Doesn't it, Mattie?"

"It certainly does, Al, and I think we'll do something about that," the man replied as he stood up and looked at the brunet, keeping a hold on Lenka's hand, "Feliciano, pay the man for the bread, and we'll send him on his way."

"You're not going to arrest her?" the baker fumed, "She's a thief!"

"If she is a thief, than so are King Matthew and Ace Alfred," the woman countered, "Are you going to have them arrested as well?"

"O-of course not, Queen Lilli," the baker stuttered.

"Here are your choices, sir," Feliciano said, offering some coins to the baker with a smirk on his face, "You can either take these coins as payment, take the loaf of bread back, or I can investigate your business to see how much more you should be paying in taxes."

The baker hesitated before accepting the coins and rushing off. As the others chuckled, Lenka turned back to the man who was still holding her hand.

"You're King Matthew, aren't you?" she asked.

"That is right, Lenka," he replied, "The soldier you bumped into is my brother, Ace Alfred."

"Are you going to punish me?" Lenka asked.

"No, we're not," King Matthew said, "In fact, I'm going to help find you a better home, where you will never again want for anything. But first, we'll get you a good meal."

"Where is your brother, Lenka?" Queen Lilli asked, "He can come with us."

"Lenka, there you are!" Tomas shouted as he ran forward and hugged her, "What's going on here?"

"It's all right, Tomas," Lenka assured, "King Matthew and Ace Alfred helped me, and they've promised us real food and a home!"

"They have?" Tomas gasped, looking back and forth at the Royals.

"Of course!" Jack Feliciano confirmed.

"We should get going, the festivities are about to begin!" Alfred said, offering his hand to Tomas, "Come along, you can have the best seats in the house!"

Tomas took Alfred's hand in awe, and they rushed ahead.

"Let's go, Lenka," Matthew said, with a smile on his face.

Lenka smiled back.

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _Lenka is meant to be Czech Republic, while Tomas is Slovakia. I obviously draw the parallel between them stealing bread in the epilogue with Matthew and Alfred in the very first chapter. In a way, it all circles around, as the poor children who once stole bread now help the other poor children who suffer like they did._**

 ** _Thank you all so much for following and reviewing! This is my first fanfiction, and I am quite proud of myself for writing something not school-related that ended up over 85,000 words!_**

 ** _So, what's next for me? Well, I am about to start my last year of school while working part-time at the office that has already offered me a full-time position for when my degree is (finally!) completed in the spring. Since I expect to be quite busy, I'll need to take a break from writing before starting my other fanfiction idea._**

 ** _Speaking of which, I may have decided on "Sun's Light and Winter's Heart" as its name. In my profile, I describe it as an exploration of multiple ships, both popular and rare, with a focus on Spain and female Canada. If there's enough demand for it, I could post a section from the first chapter onto this story as a teaser when I finally start writing it. I keep thinking of more and more ideas to add to it, so if I do write it, it will be a goodie!_**


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